Chasing the Proverbial Dream
by Katra21
Summary: Sarah knows that fantasies aren't real, that her life is not a fairytale, and those thirteen hours were a dream. But the Labyrinth needs her, as Jareth's heartbreak devolved into madness in the pools of black ink.
1. Two Sizes too Big

Chasing the Proverbial Dream

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A/N: Welcome to the first chapter for Chasing the Proverbial dream. Although this is the sequel to King's Curse I also made it equally stand alone, so if you just want to read this you can go right ahead and ignore King's Curse. I'd love to say something along the lines of how excited I am and how much fun it will be to write more Labyrinth fan fiction for everybody to read. However despite my desire to say that it does not reflect how I feel. Honestly I'm mildly freaked out. I have yet to figure why exactly this freaks me out but it does. On top of that I cannot guarantee a good update schedule. This is the only chapter I've actually finished. And although I have lots of ideas and high hopes, the second chapter has presently been evading my synapses. On top of that I am now a University student, and I'm sure the workload of it will be hitting me in the face shortly.

In the meantime, I promised this story would begin posting sometime this month, and so it has officially begun. I hope to find the time and inspiration for chapter two before this time next month. So if all goes well I shall post at that time.

Enjoy.

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Chapter One - Two Sizes too Big

The large white banner spread across the platform read: _Congratulations Graduates_. A fair skinned hand adjusted the awkward robes. Two hours. Some of the students had left as soon as they walked the stage and received their diplomas. Some stuck around, waiting for their friends to go across the stage.

Sarah was more frustrated with the amount of time she'd spent in the robes. They were itchy, and wearing them made her feel hopelessly fat. Really she had an excellent figure, but her robe was two sizes too big, and so feeling fat was practically guaranteed.

Before she could think to mentally complain further the stage was empty, and she was ushered on stage. She took long strides to help her legs compensate for having to stand for such a long time. Hands were shaken, and Sarah left the stage with diploma in hand and slipped out to the washroom.

The weight of the robe removed from her chest, Sarah came to the realization of how much it had impeded her breathing. Awkward, itchy, and suffocating, just like life. That's how it goes when you're last in line and they run out of your size.

Sarah sighed with relief before sneaking back into the auditorium. Toby and Irene were sitting near the back, waiting for her. Toby was a typical four year old. He was not in his chair, but underneath it, with some fantastic story playing out in his mind as he made motoring sounds to pushing a toy car along the underside of the seat. Sarah's hair tossed itself sideways as she screwed her head around to look at him. "What are you doing under the seats Toe-jam?" she asked in hush tones that had just a hint of playful big sister affection.

"Super-car has to save the moon from the space-men!"

"And why are you under the seat?"

"We're on the moon where super-car drives upside-down."

"There's not as much gravity on the moon is there?"

"Grabbity?" Toby looked up at Sarah dubiously.

Sarah got an evil glint in her eyes. Grabbity? Oh Sarah could give Toby 'grabbity'.

"Are you going to sit-down?" Irene asked, pulling Sarah out of her near-game with Toby.

Sarah fought back a sigh and took a seat. Irene had a certain lack-lustre voice that had the mysterious power to drain Sarah's spirit. That woman was just so... drab.

Oddly, Sarah could tell when someone lacked imagination, and her step-mother could serve as the definition. The young graduate fiddled with a fresh haircut she'd been treated to. It was rather disappointing; she'd just been able to sit on her thick brown hair when her _dearest _step-mother had insisted she get it cut to a more manageable length.

Although Sarah had been sceptical she liked her new look, her hair had become like that robe, two sizes too big. She hadn't noticed until it was gone that it was more refreshing to have her hair just beyond shoulder-length with just a bit shorter around the part of her hair in order to frame her face. Plus there was the added bonus of being able to pull her hair away from her ears without breaking her elastic. Shorter hair was fun, bouncy, and fresh. However she wasn't going to admit as much to Irene.

Irene would only hear about how it made Sarah look like she was back in junior high. To which Irene would merely retort on how much she would appreciate her youthful face when she was pushing her forties.

Sarah pulled out her journal; in it was everything from sketches to poetry to a recipe for white chip macadamia nut cookies. Right now, it would serve the purpose of sketch-book. It was a messy sketch at best, but it would be the pattern for a potential project.

Already accepted into a fashion-design course for College, she been on a designers kick. It had driven her father and step-mother up the wall. With Sarah's high grades she could have gotten into almost any University, law, medicine, business, Sarah could have had her pick. Instead she picked a fashion school.

Linda Williams, Sarah's mother, had taught her daughter how to sew a little while she was patching costumes for various theatre productions before getting picked up by an agent.

Sarah had mostly made doll's clothing from old scraps until a set of bed sheets became the material for her first full size dress. It was a clunky piece at best, but after three years of fashion studies in high school sewing had become a favourite pastime. However Sarah doubted she could make the extravagant Victorian inspired dress that was now sketched out in her journal. That was what fashion school was for.

The ceremony was over as Sarah finished her sketch; having the last name Williams did have some advantages.

The grad dinner however was in two hours.

There was an almost ominous silence in the vehicle. Toby had fallen asleep as soon as his head had hit something softer than the floor. Now there was only Sarah and Irene, and silence.

"So, you've graduated," Irene broke the silence, in possibly the least stimulating three words since the dawn of language.

"Yeah, I have a pretty piece of paper," Sarah said with just a hint of sarcasm, "makes the whole thing kind of official."

"Are you looking forward to the dinner?"

"Not particularly," Sarah muttered and stared drearily out the window.

"And why not?" Why was this woman so determined to continue a failing conversation?

"None of my friends are going."

"That's too bad, your father and I would love to meet some of your friends."

"Yeah, well, that's how it goes."

"You should really invite some of them over sometime."

"Because I'm not allowed to have any sort of life without your knowledge," Sarah said with a snap of frustration. She didn't like how Irene felt privy to the details of her life and friends.

"You don't have to get mad Sarah; wouldn't you like to have friends over?"

"My own mother doesn't care what I'm doing, why should you?" she was in a mood. Usually Sarah could counter her step-mother in polite whispers and grudging obedience, but the mention of her friends seemed to have hit a nerve.

Irene was silent; she always went silent whenever Sarah compared her to Linda. It was the fastest and usually the most effective way for Sarah to end an uncomfortable conversation.

The remainder of the trip home was ominous silence.

Sarah didn't waste time and retreated to her bedroom almost as soon as she got home. Her bedroom had changed drastically over a short period of time. Most of her toys and games now occupied Toby's room, including the ornate house looking shelf that used to hold them all. She had a larger bed, one much like her father's except the sheets were a soft green with large pink blossoms and the sheets were a pink to match. She had gotten a new vanity, and a few special objects had come out of hiding.

The Hoggle bookend still held her books, which were now on the shelf above her door as the bookcase he once occupied had gone to Toby. Her statue of the Goblin King sat on top of her dresser next to a stereo she had gotten for her birthday. The glass gazebo music box with the dancer in white sat on her side table, though she hadn't wound it up in years. Three plush toys occupied a corner of the bed. The fox-knight that resembled Sir Dydimus, the 'Beast' plush that looked like Ludo, and a practically moth eaten grey cat with droopy black whiskers that made a sort of beard and a beige patch instead of a left arm. The cat was dubbed 'Emperor' and Irene would have thrown the poor fellow out before letting Toby adopt him.

Also on the bed was Sarah's grad dress, she reached out and ran her hand along the seams. It was gold, straight from the waist down with a small bow on the left hip and iron folded from the waist up and sleeveless.

Sarah changed, and ran her hands down the slick skirt. She then sat at her vanity and began fixing her makeup; the whole ensemble was finished with a necklace, a gold and green circle of flowers on a combination chain and beaded string. It was a replica of one her mother had worn in her latest movie.

Sarah looked amazing, she felt amazing,

There was one thing that bothered her as she traced her waist-line, stepping back from the mirror. She had fallen in love with a different dress while shopping with her friends. When she came back to the store with Irene, the dress she had wanted, a pale green... Sarah had been two sizes too big.

This dress was a second choice that Irene had talked her into. Sarah had almost cried. It seemed her heart was still attached to the other dress.

She sat down at her vanity once more and pulled out her hair brush, next was her hair. If it had still been long she would have just let it hang down, but now that it was short it begged to be styled. Sarah fiddled with it for a long and unsuccessful hour.

"Sarah, are you ready?" her father's voice called.

"Coming," Sarah called back, and brushed her hair straight with a sigh. She carefully pulled on her heavily strapped gold heels.

Her hand rested gently on the railing as she tried to hold the appearance of floating down the stairs. She had been rehearsing her walk as soon as she got the shoes, she could achieve it without opening her eyes or looking down.

"You look amazing," her father said, Sarah smiled softly, keeping her eyes nearly closed for effect. She opened her eyes to her father, and her step-mother in a simple mauve dress, already holding his arm.

Sarah fought back the deep internal sigh. This was _her_ night, the one night she wanted _someone_ to be fawning over her. However the clenching in her stomach prevented her from asking for as much as that.

A black limo pulled up in front of the house, it had been her father's idea to 'arrive in style'. Sarah could have been just as comfortable coming on the bus. Actually as she sat down she realized she probably would have been more comfortable on the bus. Even the seats made her feel small, insignificant, particularly because Irene and Robert took the seat across from her.

No one to delight in her Sarah leaned on the window frame and stared out towards the road. Even Toby had been left home with a sitter.

Sarah was alone. She was being treated far better than she probably deserved, but not as well as she wanted to be. And she was riding in a limo that was two sizes too big.

That wasn't the kicker however.

The real kicker, the one thing she would regret until she grew far less fickle, was that ten minutes into the dinner she came to the sudden, disgusting realization of why exactly she had been moody all day. The realization came as she felt the cooling tingle. The realization that she had gotten caught up in her graduation to the point where she had forgotten to keep track of the actual date. The realization that she would either have to leave the dinner early or leave with a large red stain on her dress. The realization that her body had once again begun what will forever be considered the bane of womanhood, her period.


	2. Just Proverbial

Chasing the Proverbial Dream

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A/N: Hello peoples. I really don't know what to say right now, it sorta seems like this story isn't getting any attention, but y'know that might just be in my head. It kinda seems like the lack of Jareth gives nobody a reason to write reviews. Or something... I might be insane. I might also not be me... Which makes no sense, and I won't rant about to explain to you.

Anyway, this chapter has a lot of Sarah and Toby interaction. I hope I portray them in a way that you can connect to. I dunno, it just feels cute and ultimately, necessary at understanding Sarah's current perspective on life. Which is really the point of these first few chapters. The first chapter was her perspective of herself, out of place, everything either too big or too small. This second chapter is her perspective of the world.

Hope you guys enjoy, and review, I like reviews.

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Chapter Two - Just Proverbial

The heat of the summer beamed in through the window. Sarah lay sprawled out on her bed in a star shape. She lay there, staring at the ceiling in a t-shirt and shorts. Everything was hot, and damp. Sarah quietly wondered how much she wound have to sweat in order to be boiled alive in her bedroom. It was the temperature for cooking eggs on sidewalks; so hot outside you could smell it.

It was good to have a large bed. Sarah couldn't imagine pulling off her sprawl in her old bed. It was too hot to move, and she wouldn't have been as comfy on the floor, especially considering the light from the window landed right where she would had spread eagle with the small bed, which was now in Toby's room.

Sarah later wondered if she hadn't thought of Toby would he still have come bounding into the room. "SARAH! SARAH!"

"What?" Sarah asked, not even turning her head.

"Take me to the park!"

"It's too hot out Toe-jam, maybe another day."

"But I wanna go!"

Sarah sighed and turned her head to look, and instantly regretted it. Young Toby was a master at making his eyes look big and wet and ready to cry. Big sister instinct, or perhaps the thought of loud and obnoxious crying, told Sarah laziness was not worth it if tears were the consequence.

An annoyed groan, that sounded like a medieval monster escaped from Sarah's lips as she sat up. Apparently Toby thought much the same as he turned tail and dashed from the room.

Sarah groaned again, and followed. Toby was in his room anxiously packing a bunch of toys into a little red wagon. A little red wagon that should have been in the garage. "Hey, what's this doing in your room?" she strode over and lifted the handle with just one finger.

"Going to the park!" Toby announced, grinning from ear to ear. As he then pushed the whole cart past Sarah and haphazardly tossed it down the stairs. The small child might as well have had the word **GLEE** printed across his forehead with magic marker.

Sarah stood at the top of the stairs, practically gasping in shock. Toby merely scampered down the stairs, collected his fallen comrades and piling them back into the wagon once he reached the bottom.

"Toby," Sarah grabbed her little brother's arm with more force than was perhaps necessary. "Why did you do that?"

Toby looked up at his big sister horrified.

She softened, her sharp reaction had scared Toby silly. She scooped Toby up and held him close, "Oh Toby, I'm so sorry," her grip softened so she could look Toby in eye. "You really scared me Toby, you could get hurt pulling a stunt like that, so let your big sister handle taking the wagon downstairs next time, okay?"

Toby dragged his hand over his face, probably to wipe away a little sprinkle of tears, and nodded obediently.

Sarah lowered her brother to the ground, bending down slightly. "Are you ready to go to the park?"

"Yeah!" Toby shouted and threw his arms up in the air before dashing towards the door and trailing the wagon along with him. Sarah sighed, it seemed Toby was sensitive to the slightest thing she did. How would the boy do when she effectively disappeared to go to university?

"Merlin?" Sarah called and head for the living room. "Merlin we're going to the park, wanna come boy?" Sarah asked the old mass of sheepdog tha t only responded to her with the lifting of his head. "Come on Merlin."

Merlin was getting old, the dog stood up a little shakily and followed Sarah out the door where Toby stood quietly at the bottom of the steps the wagon still at the top of the steps for Sarah.

"Way to go Toby," Sarah said and lifted the wagon, "you didn't pull a goldfish."

Sarah put down the wagon and checked on Merlin's unsteady plod down the steps before turning back to the wagon, which now held a particular strawberry-blond head of hair. Toby bounced ever so slightly as he sat.

"Toby," Sarah said putting her hands on her hips.

Toby turned to look up at her, sweet innocence in his eyes. "My arm hurts," he said defensively. Of course his arm had nothing to do with him walking, he was just far too clever for a little boy.

"You little scamp," Sarah bent down and started to gently grind his head with her knuckles, which sent him into fits of giggles, "you planned it all didn't you?"

"Stop-" Toby gasped, "stop," in between his giggles.

"Alright Toby you win," Sarah said and tossed her arms up defeated before taking the handle of the stroller, "but you're walking on the way back."

Toby merely beamed as Merlin trod after them.

Once they had reached the park Sarah dropped the cart handle and flopped face first in the grass, no warning or nothing.

Toby giggled and got out of the wagon. "Sarah." She didn't reply. "Sarah, let's play!" Still no response. "Sarah! Play with me!"

"I can't," Sarah replied from the grass. "I've died."

"Sarah!" Toby cried loudly and shook her.

"You've killed me Toe-jam, I'm dead, leave me to lie in peace."

"Sarah!" Toby said again, now utilizing a stuffed toy from the cart in order to hit Sarah over the head.

"Oh no Toby you'd better run," Sarah warned, "I'm becoming... a zombie!" Sarah suddenly reached out and grabbed Toby. She rolled over in the grass until she was over him before pulling up his shirt and planting a sloppy wet raspberry onto his belly. He squealed with delight squirming like a worm. Sarah laughed happily and let the boy scramble away. Then she sat up to watch her brother setting up his game of choice out on the grass.

It felt like so long ago since she was prancing around the grassy hills with games and fairytales floating through her head. She could still remember sitting under the trees contemplating fairytales and true love. Actually, it was just the one tree.

"Come on Merlin," Sarah called to her age old dog as she headed to her favourite place in the whole park.

Well, it used to be her favourite place. Sarah had given up on her park going days. She'd stepped out of her only child mind into that of a big sister, and her favourite place in the park was now wherever Toby wanted to play.

Sarah ran he hand along the bark of the tree; it was like living nostalgia under her fingers. She shook her head at a carved in heart, some petty sign of love was not worth mutilating a tree. However she would force herself to ignore it, she sat, and invited Merlin over next to her, as was their tradition. He knew what was going on and flopped down wither, his front paws and head rested onto her lap.

Here was her childhood, and her troublesome puberty, all wrapped together under a big tree with a dog. Memories flooding back like the incoming tide.

"Prince charming..." Sarah whispered as she remembered the ponderings of her younger days. "Happily ever after..."

Merlin's big ol' puppy eyes looked up at Sarah.

Sarah started laughing, "I can't believe I really used to think like that. Prince charming is someone who will treat you like a princess, and happily ever after is finding what you want to do with your life. It's not some mystical adventure with elves and goblins. Fantasy is just a metaphor to what you want to find in real life." Sarah sighed happily. "Well it seems I have the answers to my childhood questions. Now the tricky part is finding prince charming, true love and happily ever after. Right Merlin?" Sarah scratched Merlin's ears and received a happy pant. "Thank you tree!" Sarah said and started laughing again.

"Sarah!" Toby yelled from another section of the park, "Come and play!"

"I'm coming," Sarah called back and squiggled out from under Merlin. Merlin looked up at her and then put his head back on his paws. "Have a nap you old fuddy duddy," Sarah gave him one last scratch before heading after Toby.

They played and goofed off for at least two hours before Sarah insisted they pack up. "Alright, Toe-jam, let's head home."

"What? No!" Toby shook his head.

"You do want lunch, don't you?" Sarah asked, eyeing her brother with a coy smile, "I'll make your favourite."

Toby's eyes went wide and he immediately took the toy he was holding to the wagon.

"You pack up, I'll go get Merlin." Sarah proceeded back to the tree. As she approached, she realized something was very wrong. Running to Merlin, Sarah felt the dog's dreadfully laboured breathing. Occasionally a light whimper escaping the canine's lips.

Sarah immediately went dashing past, "Toby, stay with Merlin," she said commandingly, "I'll be right back."

Legs stretched in long strides that made her muscles burn all the way to the pay phone on the corner. Sarah hopped on one foot, removing her shoe and dumping the change within. She always kept enough change in her shoes to make an emergency phone call and this was an emergency. The coins rattled on their way through the machine, and Sarah plunked out the only reliable number she knew off by heart.

"Yes, can you transfer me to Robert Williams," Sarah said, trying to hold her trembling voice steady. "Yes, I'm his daughter Sarah, it's an emergency."

Every moment of silence made Sarah's heart beat a little bit faster.

"Dad? I'm at the park with Toby, I think Merlin's dying!" Sarah said hurriedly. "Yeah, alright."

Sarah hung up the receiver, and turned back towards the park. She couldn't run anymore, her legs were trembling. Merlin had been around since she was three years old. Her heart was breaking, over her pet.

Toby sat under the tree next to Merlin. As Sarah came into sight he rushed to her side, confusion rippling over his face. "Merlin's not moving, is he asleep?"

"Oh God," Sarah drew closer to Merlin, the dog was still. Sarah had been to three funerals in her life. It didn't matter, she knew her dog. The vacant peace across his face confirmed it, he was gone. "Merlin's dead, Toby."

"Oh," Toby said brightly, and headed over to shake the dog.

"Toby, don't," Sarah grabbed his hand and pulled him away. "Merlin is dead."

"Exactly," Toby said confused by his sister's worry. "All I have to do is bug him enough, he'll go zombie and we can go home."

"Toby, it doesn't work like that." Sarah swallowed back her tears to try and explain. "When I say I'm dead, I'm not actually dead, I'm just pretending."

"Oh," Toby said again, still confused.

"Merlin won't ever get up, he's not alive anymore. He can no longer think or breathe or move."

"Like a stuffed toy?" Toby asked.

"Yeah, kinda like that," Sarah wiped a tear going down her face.

"Should I put him in the wagon?"

"No, Toby," Sarah stroked his strawberry blonde hair. "If we take Merlin home, we'll get very sick, he has to be taken away."

"How long will he be gone?" Toby asked in such innocence.

Sarah really was crying now. She wrapped her arms around Toby and turned herself away from the top of the hill and sat herself in the grass. Protectively she sat, holding her strangely motionless brother in a fetal position between her legs, and all the while almost fetal herself. "He can't ever come back Toby, he's dead."

"Can we use a phoenix down?" Toby asked referencing the video games that Irene let him play on weekends.

"Toby," Sarah said sadly, biting her lip and trying to bite back more tears as her face grew ever damper. "This isn't a game, or a fairytale. Merlin is dead," she was bawling.

Toby remained confused, but he didn't ask any more questions. Sarah's wet face was buried into his back he knew when to be silent. And so the pair sat, their dead dog to their backs, and waited for everything to be okay again.


	3. Harsh Reality

Chasing the Proverbial Dream

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A/N:Yeah, okay I've kept you guys waiting long enough for this. I've been really hesitant about putting this chapter up because I have no bumper chapters. This is seriously all I've written so far, I hit a slump. Hopefully my inspiration will be backing me up again soon. But this is the bit of storyline that got me started, seriously I was writing chapter one and two a build-up to this chapter, or at least the end of this chapter.

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Chapter Three - Harsh Reality

It was three o'clock, in the afternoon, and Sarah Williams was still in bed.

Sarah stared at her wall, she'd isolated herself in her room. Irene was home to distract Toby anyways, she could neglect life, just for a while. The wall was not exactly comforting. Usually if she was this upset, Merlin would have known and plodded into her room to get her up. A deep sigh escaped Sarah's lips. Merlin wouldn't have wanted to see her like this. She sat up; she had to do something, especially now that she remembered that her dumb dog wouldn't have put up with such downtrodden behaviour. Aimlessly Sarah stood and looked around her room, numbly.

What had she expected herself to do after getting up? There was nothing to be done.

She drifted to her bookshelf, looked over her books. Almost half of them were books on sewing, the other half were fantasy novels, big and small, most of which were highly sentimental. Her eyes stopped on a smaller book with a red leather cover.

Sarah stared at it for a long while. Her fingers reached for it, but she couldn't bring herself to remove it from the shelf. Instead she drifted away to her vanity. Her fingers tented against the glass. A nervous swallow, "Hoggle?" Sarah stared long and hard into the still mirror, "Ludo?" The only that moved in her mirror was herself, "Sir Didymus?"

The pale hand fell from the glass, of course, what else had she expected? Sarah turned back towards the stuffed toys on her bed. Stuffed toys, inspired by an over active imagination, nothing more. She could imagine what it would be like to have her friends with her.

They'd be on the bed, her legs crossed with Didymus across from her. Ludo would sit on the floor to her left and Hoggle to her right. Ambrosias, the spitting image of Merlin would sit next to Ludo, and she could reach down and pat the steed's head. Hoggle would keep accusing Didymus of cheating, and Sarah would have to remind Ludo not to eat the Scrabble pieces.

Sarah sighed again, because of course, although her imagination was good, they weren't here. They never were.

It was mild frustration which drove her. Sarah pulled open her drawers with a huff, and began throwing clothes into the middle of the room. "Why do I have so much useless crap?" she demanded of no one in particular. Then she peeled across the room to her closet. Hangers whipped across the span of her clothes closet until she stopped at her gold grad dress.

It was lovely, it fit her perfectly. However it didn't feel like something she would wear. Two hundred dollars was not worth something she would never wear. Sarah pulled down the dress and prepared to throw it in the pile. Stopping was on account of the dress beneath it. True it was made from bed sheets, but they were still good quality and the dress was very sentimental.

Sarah lifted her grad dress up next to her old playtime dress and her eyes lit up. She placed both dresses onto her bed, excitement in her eyes. A sewing machine was set up over her vanity; she pulled one of her sewing books off of her shelf. That was placed next to the sewing machine as Sarah grabbed a seam-ripper and flopped onto her bed to start work on her creation.

Four o'clock, Sarah looked at her work, mainly the fact that the white body now had elegant golden sleeves. There was still work, the skirt wwas going to get a bit of gold treatment too, however this was where Sarah needed her book if she was going to make the illusion of a bustle skirt.

"Sarah, there's a phone call for you," Irene called.

A moment's hesitation. "Coming!" Sarah called, and with a light sigh she put down her project and headed downstairs.

"Hello? ... Hey, Nicole, how's it going?" Sarah's face moved from its normal state to shock, then to offense. "What!? Nicole, you can't just decide things like that on your own... No! I'm not going on a blind date! ... What?! ... Oh, I'm sooo getting back at you for this..." Sarah hung up the phone, then turned her indignant glance across the room. "Irene?!"

Now, Nicole was one of Sarah's few friends in high school. However, the girl had no concept of 'other people's business.' Especially when it came to dating, Nicole had been conspiring to set Sarah up with any number of eligible bachelors since the day they'd met. That, Sarah, had become acclimated to, what she was more upset about was her step-mother acting as an accomplice.

"That was Nicole, she just informed me that I have some guy named Trevor who's going to pick me up at six o'clock." Sarah practically fumed, "She also said that _you_ confirmed that I would be free for that date."

Irene looked at Sarah with nothing but motherly concern in her eyes. "Don't tell me you were planning something other than sulking in your room. A good date will get your mind off of Merlin's death."

"What if I don't want a good date? All I really want is for you to ask me."

"Sarah, you could calm down, he was just a dog."

Heartless, Sarah stared appalled at just how heartless her step-mother was. Alright the woman wasn't a wicked step-mother or anything. She was just a brutally different kind of person. Sarah held her heart far too precious. Fists clenched she stormed back up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Irene demanded, barely giving chase.

"To get ready," Sarah yelled back.

Sarah closed her door with a groan. She didn't want to go on any date, and she could probably assert her choice in the matter. However, she also didn't want to insult whoever Trevor was. Nicole had never been able to pick even close to the guy Sarah wanted, however most of them were decent caring guys just as trapped in Nicole's circle of playing cupid.

The trick was to wear something that would give the impression that she was not interested in a serious relationship but at the same time would fit in to a date sort of setting.

Sarah browsed through her clothes, even the ones on the floor. Pants didn't seem like date material. She pulled a skirt from her closet; it was white with a brown swirl design. The matching vest had been a staple of her accent pieces, however she hardly touched the skirt, mostly because wearing the two together made her look like a cowgirl.

Today however she had an outfit in mind that it would work for. She combined it with a creamy white blouse and then over top she had a rosy sweater that moved progressively from light to dark and had a few butterfly designs that would her blouse beneath.

Then there was makeup, Sarah had to move her project dress and sewing machine off her vanity. She chose a simple gloss, and some natural browns for eye shadow. Then she sighed and put her head down on her vanity.

By six Sarah was as ready as she was ever going to be. Physically she had down everything she could to get ready. Mentally she was ready to crawl right back into bed.

"Sarah, Trevor's here," she heard Irene's call. Doom... she got an instantaneous and ominous sinking in her stomach.

"I'll be right there," Sarah called back. She checked her appearance quickly and headed for the stair case. Irene was at the bottom of the stairs with a strangely giddy look on her face.

Sarah determined what the look was once she reached the bottom of the stairs. In their doorway was a devastatingly handsome young man. And so Sarah's stomach lurched with a suddenly onslaught of butterflies as her jaw dropped.

Trevor, Sarah learned over a semi-casual dinner, just finished his first year of University. He was taking business as his major, with a drama minor. He loved Shakespeare and was presently rehearsing for a part in Hamlet. Throughout dinner Sarah was slowly thinking that Nicole might have actually found her a decent match.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Trevor asked suddenly.

Sarah waivered, it was a big question. One she had asked herself more than once. She had tried to answer those questions in the park that summer, and her dog had died. Did she believe? It was a beautiful metaphor. However, she couldn't help but wonder if all those princesses in fairytales lived happily ever after, why would the writer stop there?

Trevor couldn't take the silence of Sarah's pondering. "Well, I know it's real," he said with a smile, "today proves it."

Shock crossed her face; Sarah looked down at her food, suddenly having lost her appetite. Trevor was a charming young man, and they were probably quite compatible. However Sarah knew in that moment that he wasn't what her heart was searching for. She picked at her food over the next half an hour, trying to respond to Trevor as a friend but no potential for more.

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"How did the date go?" Irene asked with near slyness to her voice.

"Okay, I suppose," Sarah said quietly.

"Alright, what went wrong?" Irene asked. Then to Sarah's shocked face she replied, "I am fluent in 'girl'."

"Well, Trevor seems to like me... a lot... and I just don't think he's the one."

"That's a start isn't it, he doesn't repulse you does he?"

"No, he was quite nice."

"It took me a long time to think of your father romantically."

"I just want to be certain..."

"Waiting to find love at first sight?"

Sarah's stomach turned itself in a knot. She had internally denied the existence of love at first sight with Trevor earlier. "Thanks for the talk," Sarah said, ready to escape to her room once more. Suddenly she had a lot to ponder.

"Alright," Irene replied coolly. "Your father and I will be up later to say goodnight..."

The stairs wouldn't remain steady. Sarah was dizzy from the confusion that pounded in her mind. Was she really insinuating that she was turning away someone for believing something that she herself did? Her train of thought was interrupted as she opened her bedroom door. Her floor was bare.

More importantly however was that the dress she was working on was among the missing clothing.

"Irene?!" she called, she was unbelievably nervous. She dashed back downstairs to where the woman sat. "What happened to the clothes on my floor?"

"I put them in the laundry," Irene answered nonchalantly.

_No_, the word rippled through Sarah's subconscious. The sewing she had done was preliminary; she hadn't sewn it to stay together strongly yet. She paled, because the washing machine would shred the dress. She rushed down to the basement where the washing machine ran noisily. She pulled open the top, water running and shovelled through the wet until she caught a hauntingly familiar gold sleeve. It pulled out without the rest of the dress.

_No_, Sarah closed the lid again. She felt like a child, Irene would treat her like a child. Numb, she bolted back up the stairs; she was out the door before she knew what she was doing. She was running, she didn't care where, but she wasn't surprised when she ended up at the park.

_It's just a dress._ Sarah could hear what her step-mother would say rippling through her skull. The fact that the woman had said the same thing over grad dresses didn't help. Tears cooled quickly in the night air. Those tears had been held in too long though. She cried about so many things that she couldn't identify as she made her way up to the tree.

The last place she sat with her dog. It was the place where Merlin breathed his last breath. It wasn't strange that she would come here to mourn.

However Sarah stopped to stare at the base of the tree. A stray cat? Sarah waited a minute, the critter would dash off any moment. It didn't. Sarah drew a little closer, her motion would have chased off a stray. Whatever it was, it lay still. As Sarah drew closer she noticed the jacket. She sped up then, a lost child? No, Sarah could clearly make out the fluffy tail. Perhaps a pampered dog?

Perhaps it was the waning light. Or perhaps it was the fact that the memory was nearly three years old and their contact had only been one of a few hours. She didn't realize until she was standing right over the battered ball of fluff. He was badly hurt, his breathing heavy, almost whimpering in the exhale.

Sarah was shaking from the shock alone as she bent down to help the struggling fox goblin, "Sir Didymus!?"


	4. Old Friends

A/N: I'm going to say it, bunniko has some awesome timing. Recently I've been distracting myself with fanfictions in the Beetlejuice section, just generally uninspired for this one. However two of my regular reviewers over there haven't said anything about my latest chapter so I hit a slump. And just then bunniko sent me three reviews setting me off on this one again and getting this blasted chapter finished. So hooray for good timing.

Chapter Four - Old Friends

_Sarah gaped at the small fox goblin, "Sir Didymus?"_

Her legs couldn't hold her. She trembled as she reached out to him, "Sir Didymus!" Sarah couldn't believe it, a long lost friend right under her fingertips. One who's existence she had not long ago attributed to a stuffed toy and her own imagination.

Frantically, yet gently as possible Sarah Williams looked over the condition of the little knight. He was bleeding profusely, but she could not tell where from in the waning light and lengthening shadows. She would have to take him home, somehow sneak him into the house and treat him somewhere she could hide the evidence.

"My lady..." a soft and hoarse whispered escaped the goblin's lips, as his paw like hand inched closer to Sarah's face before going limp.

_No... NO!_ Sarah whipped off her sweater, the slight chill of the air immediately chilling her sweat beaded body to the bone. She wouldn't even give the mild cold a shudder. She had just lost her dog, and she'd be damned if she was going to lose Didymus too. Carefully she wrapped the ball of fluff up in her sweater hoisting him up as gently as possible. The weight felt familiar, Didymus was lighter than Toby, and she hoisted that around whether she wanted to or not.

Then she started running again, trying to move as though she were wearing those silly strapped heels to hold the battered knight as still as she could while keeping speed.

Sarah froze as she approached the house. There was a chance that the house might already be madness with how she had stormed out earlier. Then again, there seemed no logic behind hiding Didymus at all, the simple evidence of the little goblin curled up in her arms would prevent any doubts. Sarah couldn't figure out why she would hide it in the first place.

"Yes I got my baby brother kidnapped by a narcissistic fairytale king," Sarah said the words out loud as her hand hovered over the door knob. No, that had nothing to with it, because as real as Sir Didymus felt in the cradle of her arms, if he wasn't actually there...

Slowly Sarah opened the door, the living room was silent, no sign of the step mother. Sarah slipped quietly to the upstairs bathroom, perhaps no one even noticed that she left. Well that would be _convenient_, and too good to be true. The bath mat was tossed into the tub as she lowered the small knight onto the tile floors. It was the only location in the house for such patch ups, Sarah grabbed a first aid kit from under the sink, and wet a face cloth for cleaning off wounds. She carefully examined Didymus, locating three bleeding wounds a broken left arm. Hooray for the bumps and bruises acquired by little brothers.

"Sarah!" a voice called with obvious distress. The girl went rigid, as her father called. Why, why did their bathrooms have to be free of locks?

Sarah poked her head out the door and called the most reliable aid in the house. "Toby!" The strawberry blonde head poked out his bedroom door. "You're running the distraction," Sarah said hurriedly, a practically wicked smile spreading across the boy's face. If Sarah had to thank Irene for anything it was this, through constant interaction Sarah had trained her little brother for this exact purpose. Alright maybe not exactly for having a goblin bleeding on the bathroom floor, this was more for surprise parties, but the training worked just the same.

The madness that Toby was inflicting was audible, but Sarah had more important things to focus on. Sarah went through gauze like it was going out of style, then she eyed the broken arm with an uncomfortable sinking feeling in her stomach. "I really hope you stay unconscious for this," Sarah said grabbing a toothbrush of all things to act as a splint as she shifted the broken bone as close to straight as she could figure before wrapping the whole thing in a medical tape cast.

Now for hiding the fellow, Sarah lifted the fox goblin again, using the mat to cover over the blood smears. Then she poked her head out the door in time to see Toby standing on the stair rail, forcing herself to ignore it as she slipped into her room. Freezing at the sight of herself in the vanity mirror, her shirt was positively blood soaked.

"Toby, this is not acceptable behaviour," Irene lectured her son, holding the boy tight so he couldn't handle more distracting.

"Sarah," Robert called as he headed up the stairs.

"Yeah dad?" Sarah answered calmly, closing the door behind her as she stepped out of her room, wearing a light brown imitation leather jacket to cover her bloodstained shirt.

"Something wrong? Irene said you ran off."

"One of my sewing projects got ruined in the washing machine, I was just walking it off."

"Well, can I come in and talk to you?"

"Why can't we talk out here?" Sarah smiled innocently.

"Irene will be up in a moment to put Toby to bed, that boy must have gotten hold of some crazy sugar," he stepped past and opened the door anyway.

He stepped into the room, which looked completely normal. Sarah closed the door gently, "So what did you want to talk about."

"Well, I just wanted to know how you've been feeling, about Merlin, and College. Irene says you went on a date tonight."

"Yeah well," Sarah said sitting down on her bed, her father taking the window seat, "I don't think he was what I'm looking for, a girl's gotta have standards." Sarah said feeling weird, it was a total lie wasn't it, he was handsome and seemed smart and caring. It almost seemed crazy that she didn't like him, but relatively that was probably the least crazy thing that had happened recently.

"You just seem a little out of it lately, and I wanted you to know that if you need to talk I'll always be here for you."

"It's just the heat dad, this has to be the hottest summer in the last decade," Sarah brushed it off easily.

"Alright, I'd better go help out with Toby then," Robert said as he left the room.

Sarah sighed with relief as the door closed again and she lifted the window seat to reveal the small cubby inside where Didymus lay in a pile of spare bedding. "Close one," Sarah whispered as she shifted the extra bedding to wrap protectively around the goblin knight. It was strange, just staring at him, Sarah felt almost nostalgic, and yet her muscles clenched due to the dire condition she had found him in. "What were you doing at the park Sir Didymus?" Sarah asked despite the fox goblins lack of consciousness.

There was a knock on her door and Sarah shut the bench before answering, on the other side was a bright eyed Toby. "Did I do good?" the enthusiastic boy asked.

"Toe-jam, you were brilliant," Sarah ruffled his hair and grabbed him a chocolate bar from her dresser drawer. "But if you do anything as crazy as climbing on the railing while I'm in charge I'll chop your legs off."

"Roger!" Toby said and scampered back to his own room.

Sarah closed the door, leaning on the wood as she looked back towards her window and the bench. "You'd better not wake up while I'm in the shower Sir Didymus," Sarah said as she moved to grab her housecoat. When in doubt, a bit of self indulgence can solve many woes; but first Sarah had to clean up the bathroom floor.

"I'm taking a shower," Sarah called downstairs, as she crossed the hallway the second time in as many minutes. She reached into the tub and started up the water before she tossed the floor mat upside down on top of the toilet. The damp facecloth she pulled from the emptied first-aid kit. She wrung the blood soaked rag out in the tub as she went, the shower water washing the liquid down the sink until it ran clear again. The blood soaked shirt was wrapped up in the jacket and left on the floor as Sarah stepped under the running liquid.

Warmth, her body soaked it in as her mind raced. Didymus was unconscious in her window bench, more than that he was real a fact she had doubted for a long time. If Didymus was real so was Hoggle, and Ludo, and Ambrosias, and the Goblin King. Sarah froze on the thoughts of that man, she still had a statue of him sitting on her dresser. However she'd made that before she met the Goblin King, it didn't mean anything. Even if it was an extraordinary likeness they had never met when she made it in art class, it didn't... She had planned on throwing it out, she'd only talked herself into keeping it once she believed that the whole adventure was a tired imagination. She couldn't keep it, not when he... beyond taking Toby she really couldn't place exactly what made his image so volatile in her eyes.

Somehow her brain couldn't quite wrap around the implications of it all. Part of her still doubted that it had happened at all, a logical over analyzing part of herself, that frustratingly reminded her of Irene. Sarah sighed, leaning her head against the shower tiles. Why did it all have to be so confusing? Ever personal ideal that she had confirmed sitting under a tree had been based on the doubts raised by her conclusions of the goblin kingdom and the Labyrinth. The shower silenced, the last drop running through the bottom of the tub and down the drain.

Her bathrobe wrapped snugly over her damp skin, Sarah stepped out into the hallway. She had a heart for fantasy once, she felt like she still had it until today, today she felt remarkably lacking. That heart had been ripped away when her friends had never come back. Sarah's bedroom spread out before her, she almost glared at the window bench, and then it wandered to her bed particularly a plush knight. She grabbed the stuffed toy as she knelt down by the window bench, opening the seat up quietly.

It didn't matter; Sarah crossed her arms to gaze down at her long lost friend. He'd come down a very hard road to see her, that was certain. Then Sarah slowly lowered her plush next to the fox goblin to compare, the likeness was uncanny, the plush was only chubbier with a less detailed jacket. Sarah lifted away the plush toy, her fingers fiddling with its felt eye patch a little less than unconsciously. The plush's patch was glued on tight, she had wondered what it might look like underneath. Slowly her hand reached down, and gently stroked the goblin's face. Her fingers trailed up his face to brush against his eye patch, when he stirred.

"My lady," he gasped, his eyes flying open as he sat up with a start, quickly doubling over in pain.

"Still yourself Sir Didymus, you are in no condition to be mucking about," Sarah instructed as she lowered the small knight back into his cushions.

"But my lady," he protested, although he did not struggle against her grasp.

"Rest," Sarah instructed firmly, she'd bested a stubborn toddler, and a kingdom of goblins, she was stuck in her ways, "I'll get you something to drink."


	5. The Journey Ahead

Chasing the Proverbial Dream

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A/N: Alright, I know I'm slow, but this story just hasn't been coming to me easily. Really I wish I could update this more often, and I'll try to get writing on it again, but it is slow work. But anyway the chapter, aside from coming slowly, the content still has me a little shaky. Did I explain too little? Is it too much dialogue? Does anyone seem out of character? These are the kind of questions that haunt us prolific writers. Reviews could help answer these questions, or just provide me with encouragement, in any case, they'd be appreciated. Now I'm off to try and write the next chapter.

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Chapter Five - The Journey Ahead

Sarah's fork tapped against her plate anxiously. Luckily for her, the scrambled eggs cushioned the blow, and thusly her parent's suspicions about her behaviour. She regularly bit her lip or glanced up the stairs. Despite their size Sarah had already determined that goblins were bigger eaters than humans. Food for herself was rather unappetizing with that knowledge.

"All done!" Toby said loudly, immediately excusing himself from the table.

"May I eat in my room?" Sarah asked right afterwards, then came the suspicious look of her step-mother. Sarah paled, and panicked to think up an answer, "It's just- I uh- I've got a new sewing project... Please?"

"Alright, just remember to bring your dishes back down," her father said with a smile, and Sarah scampered off before Irene could voice a protest.

Grabbing some fruit from the kitchen as she bustled past Sarah rushed up to the room, opening the door to sheer silence. "It's alright Didymus, it's just me," Sarah said and the fox goblin's head poked out from the canopy above Sarah's bed. "How'd you get up there?"

"Never underestimate the proficiency of a goblin my lady," he replied.

"Well get down here, I brought you breakfast."

"Gracious as ever," Didymus said somehow sliding down the column of the four poster bed with a broken arm.

Sarah handed the obviously ravenous goblin the plate of goodies as she sat down at her vanity, strangely enough her eyes were drawn to the dresser, and her old handmade statue of the Goblin King. It was a striking resemblance, and for a long time she had attributed the Goblin King's appearance to that of the statue. Now... was it the other way around? Was it just a coincidence? Or perhaps she was actually crazy and this was all part of a mental breakdown. Sarah glanced back at Didymus, if she was insane she was almost glad of it. Living with the thought that her three best friends were all in her head was why she had abandoned all those dreams of fantasy to begin with.

"Didymus," Sarah whispered softly, "why didn't you come back? Three years I waited for you, or Hoggle, or Ludo to come."

"A lot of unfortunate things happened my lady," Didymus said sadly, lowering the fork with the memories washing away his appetite.

"Then tell me," Sarah pleaded, "from the beginning, any of it, all of it."

"Well, it all began shortly after we left your presence for the Labyrinth," Didymus nearly whispered. "It seemed like it was normal, but then all the walls started crushing together, moving in. Then the black ooze, more like ink really, it consumed the whole labyrinth, reshaping it. I'm not sure what happened, only that I heard you calling every time, it's taken me this long just to navigate through the new dark labyrinth. And the king..."

"What about the king?"

"Although I never saw him, I heard it said that his majesty began wandering the labyrinth killing his own subjects at the slightest whim." Didymus looked up at Sarah's terrifyingly pale face.

"You shouldn't have bothered," Sarah said, suddenly noticing the tears streaming down her face. "If you were in that much trouble you should have worried about yourself and never come back here."

"My lady," Didymus gasped, "please don't say such a thing. It is my honour to be your friend and I would gladly risk my life to protect yours."

"Please Didymus, what's happened to Hoggle, and Ludo?" Sarah's body shuddered with her tears; she turned from the knight and searched for a box of tissues, really just finding an excuse to stop looking into the eye that seemed to talk of the horrors much stronger than the words he spoke.

"I was separated from Sir Hoggle and my brother very early on, I do not know of their condition."

"And your steed, Ambrosias?"

"The dark labyrinth saw to his end, not long before I found the portal to your world." Didymus seemed the one who was avoiding now, returning to his plate with renewed vigour.

Sarah's mind raced to Merlin's death, the two couldn't possibly have coincided.

"My, this dish is most excellent, although a curious flavour. It's so light and fluffy," Didymus commented happily taking the last bite of scrambled eggs. His careless words took the edge out of the air, perhaps what he intended.

"They're just scrambled eggs Sir Didymus," Sarah said chidingly wiping her cheeks for stray trails of salt.

"Eggs, of what beast?" Didymus asked putting the empty plate down on Sarah's vanity.

"Chicken eggs of course," Sarah said casually.

Didymus paused to look at the plate with an expression that Sarah couldn't identify for the life of her. He must have been real because Sarah could not conceive herself imagining that reaction. "I'm going back with you."

"What?!" Didymus whirled around with an easily identifiable look of shocked horror crossing his features.

"I'm going to the labyrinth with you, I can't sit idly by with my friends in danger."

"My lady, you can't, it's not safe, I could never allow any lady, let alone my dear friend, enter that horrible place."

"I have to Didymus," Sarah said, "I've already proved that my will is stronger than yours, and I'm not going to back down until I've ensured that both Hoggle and Ludo are safe. You can gripe and complain or do your best to protect me."

"I would protect you to the ends of the earth my lady, and to let you go to the labyrinth is an obvious dereliction of that duty."

"You have no duty Didymus, and you will take me to the labyrinth if you place any value on our friendship at all," Sarah said determinedly as she chose clothes that would be comfortable and durable to back in a backpack, food too once she got around to it, since peaches from the labyrinth were out of the question.

"You drive me into a corner my lady," Didymus slumped against a window seat, "I will take you, but I would ask that you try to change your mind before we enter for I can make no guarantee that we will ever come out."

Sarah paled at the honestly of Didymus' reply, "Well then I should be sure to tell my family that I love them before I go." Sarah paced to her vanity and began writing a letter, "If I don't return then it will only be a matter of time before they find this, and it will explain the whole story."

Didymus sighed, and suddenly the door handle jiggled, Toby burst into the room, Sarah cast a moment's glance towards the fox goblin that'd already disappeared. "What it is Toby?" Sarah asked holding back more tears at the sudden realization that she might never see her brother again.

"Mom is getting me a puppy, do you want to come?"

Sarah froze looking at the boy for a moment, then shook her head, "No Toby, you just go pick out a good one."

"Right," Toby scampered off oblivious to Sarah's shaking as the girl closed the door behind him. She shuddered all the way to her bed, for a minute she had forgotten all about everything that had gone on so recently. Shortly after graduating her beloved Merlin died and then she was bombarded with a boy which seemed like just a blink which led her to finding Didymus. The small knight's paw laid against her arm with caring.

"Are you alright my lady?" he asked softly.

"I'll be fine; I just have to finish this letter," Sarah said and headed back to her vanity.

"So few people believe in goblins," the fox muttered after Sarah had been writing for a good long while.

Sarah stopped again, then whirled towards Didymus, "May I take a picture of you?"

"A picture?! Well I'm not really very photogenic and-"

"Please, just to prove you were here, to my dad," Sarah pleaded.

"I suppose," Didymus sighed and Sarah rushed from the room, taking the plate with her as she went.

She came back with a camera that printed the picture automatically. "Say cheese!"

"Are we ready now?" Didymus asked as Sarah slipped the long letter and the attached photo into her vanity drawer. The picture itself testified to the reality of her present situation, if she were insane the picture would have been blank and Didymus would have said something about a goblin's picture never being able to be taken.

"Yes," Sarah said quietly, "I'll meet you in the backyard; I just need to say a quick goodbye."

Didymus nodded and Sarah left the room slipping downstairs, packing her backpack with food stuffs before heading back into the dining room. "Hey Dad," she called softly, coming up to the man who was still reading his Saturday morning paper at the breakfast table. "Um, my college is having a campus tour today, I figured I could just bus out and be back before dinner.

"I could give you a lift if you want," her father said putting the newspaper down.

"I'm almost a college student dad. I have to be independent now. I'm a grown up deciding my own future, even if I go were to go away and never see you again it would be my decision. I can get myself to the campus and back."

"Alright sweetie, have fun," he smiled and put his newspaper back up to his face, oblivious as always.

Sarah headed for the door as it opened before her and Toby burst in happily leading the small mixed breed puppy. "Sarah! We went to the pound, and they were going to kill any dog who doesn't get adopted and I wanted them all but Mom said I could only get one. This is Dragon!" He held up the little mongrel pup with delight on his face.

Sarah bent down and wrapped her arms around Toby, maybe the last hug she'd ever get. "Grow up good okay? I love you Toby..." she pulled away awkwardly then smiled at Irene. "I'm touring the university campus today; I'll be home for dinner... If I'm not back well then I'll probably have fallen into an alternate world filled with goblins in peril that need saving, so don't wait up for me."

"Well, she's gone back to being her usual self," Irene's voice barely reached Sarah's ears as she walked past before making a turnaround for the backyard. Her body was shaking, that was it, a good chance that she'd seen her family for the last time.

"Are you alright my lady?" Didymus' paw lightly touched her arm as the goblin shimmied down the drainage pipe.

"Alright? Of course I'm not alright. I probably said goodbye to my family for the last time before running like a rat through a homicidal maze. I think I'm aloud to be not alright," Sarah's voice was almost frantic as the tears rolled down her face.

"But you're still not going to change your mind are you?"

"Not a chance," Sarah said summoning her courage to head towards the park. She wasn't sure how Didymus managed it, somehow the goblin kept pace while keeping almost entirely invisible. Occasionally she'd see a brief flash of fur among the buildings but she didn't see the fox goblin again until she reached the park.

"This is the location of the portal," Didymus said as his head popped out from the bushes.

"I used to spend the whole day under this tree, why didn't I ever notice a portal?"

"Perhaps it is more recent than that, but it is the only portal between the worlds that remains intact."

Sarah took a deep breath, "Well then, what are we standing around here for?"


	6. Blackened Stones

Chasing the Proverbial Dream

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A/N: Yeah, I've been slow at getting this chapter up, and you know what, I'm too lazy to bother explaining myself right now. Anyway, here's chapter six, and the first chapter where I go away from Sarah for the point of view of my OC which you guys might remember a bit about from King's Curse, Kaiaraki. If you don't, Kaiaraki is a little cat-goblin who takes care of Jareth's study, but I say that loosely because Jareth's study was so over crowded with papers that opening and closing the door caused paper-cut flurries. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter Six - Blackened Stones

It was numbing to look at the Labyrinth, so familiar, yet completely alien. Actually Sarah had trouble looking at the Labyrinth itself; the giant maze had undergone some sort of crazed distortion. It took up the same amount of space, but looking at it Sarah knew it had grown bigger. To look at it was giving her a headache; it was like looking into a pool of water, except that Sarah didn't know if what she was looking at was under the surface, or a reflection.

Sarah shook her head to push away the distortion; there was something else, something hauntingly familiar about the underground. It was the same spot. Sarah turned around to confirm, it was the same tree she had stood under when the Goblin King had first brought her to the Labyrinth to save her brother. Except the tree was wrong, somehow the branches were full of pain, they moved in strange angles that pulled away and simultaneously reached out. And there, just down the hill Sarah could see the garden where she first met Hoggle.

"If you want to turn back, my lady," Didymus suggested.

Sarah's foot landed against the downward slope, her shoes carrying her down the hill. Stopping Sarah looked around the ruined garden. There were thorns everywhere. The thirsty plants had cracked and drained the pool, strangled the other plants, and then dried out. Sarah's foot hit a branch, the withered vine crumbling at the touch. They were everywhere, with no apparent source, the moved up and down the walls of the Labyrinth, bunching around the tops like a sort of natural barbed wire. They also drew Sarah's eyes to the stones, the walls of the labyrinth were made of black stones.

"Sir Didymus," Sarah said a little weakly, "Is this what you meant, by the black ink that consumed everything."

"Yes, my lady."

"How did you get out?"

"I climbed the thorns, although I doubt they could hold either of us anymore," Sir Didymus approached the black walls, "We'll have to find one of the gates, my lady."

"The gates," Sarah muttered to herself, backing away from the black Labyrinth rather than approaching, she looked at the pool as she shuffled around in the dirt. She tried to visualize the urinating Hoggle, as much as it was not exactly an image she wanted to see, it could be useful. Sarah played over the events in her head, following her mental Hoggle with her eyes, and her feet when it became time. She bent over where she had seen the small fairy dying from the poison Hoggle had been spraying. Sarah followed along the wall, followed where her imaginary Hoggle was spraying. Then finally Sarah turned, this was when Hoggle had pointed and just behind her a door had opened up. Certainly the spires that ran alongside the wall remained unchanged; Sarah could only hope that the black ink had not changed the location of the door.

Sarah shuddered at the idea of touching that strange surface. Thoughts of the black ink that consumed the Labyrinth filled her mind. She could vividly picture the ink coming to life as she touched it, sucking her in, sticking like glue, climbing her skin, dripping into her eyes, her ears, into her mouth… She fought back the shudder, she was terrified of touching it. She'd barely touched the stones within the Labyrinth the last time she was here, really her thoughts at the time had been too fleeting, thinking only of Toby and defeating the labyrinth.

Slowly extending her fingertips towards what she hoped was the door, Sarah held her breath. Her finger made contact with the strange black stones; it was surprisingly soft and warm. It was strangely nostalgic; Sarah couldn't quite place the compulsion that made her whisper, "Let me in please."

A click? The wall moved gently towards her as Sarah pulled away, the door swinging towards her. "Sir Didymus," she called, "I found the door."

-

Oven mitts slipped over her paws. The cat-goblin pulled the tray from the stone oven, taking a deep whiff of the roast that she now held. "Okay Tuffi, I've got the roast out," she called across the kitchen.

The wide open space, counters, across the room another she-goblin was pulling a pot of vegetables away from the heat. "Thank you Kaiaraki, bring it over to the plating area."

"You got it," Kaiaraki replied carrying over the roast, "I've got to hand it to you Tuffi the quality of your food hasn't dropped in the slightest."

"Well I'd only be half the work with a full kitchen staff," Tuffi replied putting down her pot with an indignant thud.

"Well," Kaiaraki hurriedly searched her mind for any sort of silver lining, "at least you don't have to make such large portions."

"I heard there's a resistance being mounted from the underground tunnels… "

"Your point is?

"The point is you should take King Jareth his meal, considering you're the only one he won't barbecue for approaching."

"Much has changed hasn't it?"

"That's an understatement," Tuffi said darkly and started to plate more food.

Kaiaraki lowered her head as she took the plate of food and left the kitchen. It was true, things had changed, the others didn't really understand, they hadn't been there. Kaiaraki had been in the throne room, just helping to keep the goblin hordes calm. Just after a strange incident with rocks having gone rampant attacking the soldiers within the goblin city the walls of the Labyrinth had started closing in. Many goblins had come into the castle for their own protection, all of them, gathered in the throne room. With the king nowhere to be found she had been the voice of reason among them. She shook her head, dispelling the memories as she stepped into the throne room.

"Your Majesty?" she called, walking into the bare room. Empty, barren, Kaiaraki didn't like the feeling she got standing in the cold empty room. She didn't like seeing the floor covered in corpses… It was strange, when the king had come down from his tower it seemed like they were finally going to have something good happen. What actually happened was much, much worse, the king began to slaughter… Kaiaraki shivered as she remembered the blood dripping off that glittery crystal blade. Remorseless, the king had sliced through his subjects as thought they were paper, blood spilled across the floor, splattered against the walls.

Knocking on the study door Kaiaraki tried to turn away from the horrors in her mind's eye. She couldn't understand why she had been spared, the whole room of common people, she was the only one he hadn't sliced down. "Kaiaraki," he had hissed, as he turned to her, stepping over the corpses without so much as blinking, "The head chef, the army general, the head maid and one assistant of her choice may stay in the palace, I suggest you keep the rest out of the castle or in the dungeons if you expect them to live for much longer."

No answer, Kaiaraki poked her head through the door and found the room empty. Only a few stacks of paper remained, the King had spent nearly a year emptying that space, aside from frequent visits into the maze. During that year the black ink spread, oozed, changed the Labyrinth, and a number of its inhabitants.

She checked his bedchamber, also empty, but that was to be expected. The king hardly slept before he changed, even less afterwards. It was strange that he always seemed to remain focussed on his unspoken task. Even when he went to sleep it was never for long and hardly restful.

Kaiaraki approached the next chamber, a guest bedroom next to the king's own. For whatever reason he had kept the room off limits, he'd killed the head maid, and simultaneously promoted her underling when the goblin had cleaned the space. The little black furred cat-goblin was the only one he permitted to enter. Opening the door to the only room that remained brightly coloured after the black ink Kaiaraki could smell the rich scent of peaches. The king, however, could not be found there.

She checked room after room, until she found herself standing at the door to his tower. Kaiaraki was certain that he would not be found there, as far as she knew the king had not entered his tower for the past three years. Even so, his subjects were not looked on kindly when they disturbed him here. Gently Kaiaraki knocked.

"Enter," came the King's husky reply.

Enter? The very thought boggled her mind, the king had never ever ever let someone else into the tower. Kaiaraki tried not to dwell too much on what would prompt the king to allow her into such a personal space. Her paw was shaking as she reached the doorknob, pushing the door open just a few inches. "Are you certain Your Majesty, I don't want to disturb you…"

"Come _in_ Kaiaraki," he ordered sternly, prompting the cat-goblin to scamper inside the door.

"I- I brought your mid-day meal, Your Highness," Kaiaraki stammered, looking at the flyaway black hair of her king as he stared at the window. Silence, Kaiaraki shuffled nervously, looking around the king's tower considering it was the first time she'd ever seen it. The window, just left of the door, the chair in the middle of the room, the model of the labyrinth across from the door, and a display case to the right of the door. The cat-goblin shuffled to get a look into the display case, two crystals sat side by side. "A memory crystal?" she wondered softly, looking into one which appeared to show a scene from her master's childhood. She looked at the other crystal curiously, "That runner?"

Pausing Kaiaraki noticed that the king was muttering, ever so softly, "She wasn't supposed to come back… She shouldn't have come back… Why would she come back?"

"Young master Jareth," Kaiaraki reached her paw towards him, worry across her face.

"Kaiaraki, I need you to do something for me," he said, still staring out the window.

"Anything, Your Majesty…"

"Watch her," he said, holding out a crystal. "Tell me what she's doing, Kaiaraki."

"A-alright," she said accepting the crystal. She looked up at Jareth, wondering why he would need her to work her magic. Then her sights laid upon the target in the crystal, it was the same girl. The runner whose dreams were echoed in the crystal that was in the display case, and she couldn't have been much older than when she'd run. Except the king hadn't accepted a runner in the three years since the black ink which meant that the human world and the Labyrinth would have had to have been in almost perfect sync.

"Well?" Jareth asked impatiently.

"She's in the stone portion of the maze, and she's just found one of the puzzle doors..."


	7. Blackened Hearts

A/N: I feel like this chapter is short, maybe it is maybe it isn't. What really matters is that it's done! Took me a while too, my inspiration waned for a good while there, hopefully my muse will stick around long enough for me too pump out chapter until reaching the end. Anywho, this chapter makes me happy, we have lots of stuff going on with Sarah, this chapter actually crosses simultaneously with the last one, and goes a little farther too. This chapter is the first that really hops between Sarah and Jareth a lot, well actually it hops between Sarah and my OC Kaiaraki, because I really want us to observe dark Jareth's behaviour rather than observe his thoughts, too revealing that little warped brain of his. I love dark Jareth! I'm just really digging this set, where in King's Curse I really played with how to lighten Jareth up, in this one I'm dealing with a very different sort of Jareth. Anyway, on with story:

* * *

Chapter Seven - Blackened Hearts

Upon entering the Labyrinth Didymus had laid down three rules. The first rule was to stay close, so as not to get lost. Sarah had failed at that, staring off into the sky after a few hours of seemingly pointless wandering. The second rule was if they got separated to stay put, that Sarah had also broken but it wasn't really her fault, something had found her.

Well first it was a goblin, running through a corridor next to her. Then it was a gigantic independent pair of jaws. Well independent with the exception of the extremely long chain that it was attached to. The pair of jaws latched onto the helpless little goblin, and dragged it back. Sarah wasn't sure whether it would be better to look or not. She could look and possibly alert the thing to her presence, or she could avoid looking and possibly have it sneak up on her. Eventually she decided to look, although afterwards she really wished she hadn't.

The thing was a monstrosity; it only barely fit into the labyrinth corridor. All its limbs could move independently, but were also chained together. It couldn't be said whether this was to impede the beast as much as possible or simply to prevent it from losing track of any of itself. Sarah guessed the latter, watching the beast's tongue wrapping up the chain with surprising dexterity, pulling the screaming, thrashing and bleeding goblin into the monster's throat. Its legs were thin and nimble, like a lizard, but it was covered in mangy blood stained fur. This was understandable as the monster shuffled the little goblin in its mouth for an extra chomp. This bite severed the goblin, its head neck and right arm toppling back to the stone and taking with it an obscene amount of blood.

This is when Sarah decided to run, not so much because of the scene but because of another realization. It wasn't blood stained, that monster had once been a fiery. Sarah didn't know where her legs were taking her; really she didn't much care as the adrenaline pumped through her legs and blinded her senses. That was when she rounded the corner and came upon the puzzle door. Well technically there were two doors, one just happened to lead to certain death.

Didymus' third rule, whatever happens, stay quiet, was broken then, when Sarah saw the two guards (four if you counted their heads) rotting corpses hanging above either door. And the words written above both doors, _it doesn't matter which door, you're dead either way._

Sarah's shuddering legs collapsed on the ground, she couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, she was going into shock. No, forget the _going into_ part, she was already in shock. Trembling, Sarah could feel her entire body, cold as ice, then with a final shudder, she lurched forward and the bile climbed out of her mouth.

As unpleasant as throwing up was, it did make her feel better.

"My lady," Didymus called with concern as he climbed over more vines in order to reach her again. Now Sarah could see how he'd gotten the lesser injuries when he'd first arrived, the natural equivalent to barbed wire was no less sharp, Didymus was covered in little nicks that Sarah knew for certain had not been there before.

However, Sarah was still reeling from her experience, "Didymus," she said with a whimper in her voice and the sharp gasps of nearly hyperventilating. Swinging her arms open she accepted the warm and comforting form of her small friend. "I'd seen it before, a bunch of them in the Labyrinth woods, all red and furry with body parts that separate, but it was huge and connected with chains. It was horrible."

"My lady," Didymus said as calmly as possible, but Sarah heard the frightened twitch in his voice, "We have to get away, those beasts have free range of the labyrinth now, we have to get moving as fast as possible."

Sarah nodded and released Didymus, the little fox goblin immediately headed for the wall to search for any kind of exit, in the already enclosed space.

"Have the doors changed?" Sarah asked, getting a curious look as the fox goblin turned back towards her. She walked slowly towards the door on the right, biting her lip in thought.

"I don't know, my lady," Didymus admitted, "only the gate keepers were given that sort of information." Sarah sighed and turned back only to go paler than as a ghost, staring at the chain-bodied fiery standing on the wall just above.

"Sir Didymus!" Sarah screamed, acting before she could think, she leapt towards the wall, the pair of jaws whisking over her head and hitting the labyrinth floor with a loud clack. She crashed into the fox goblin, her arm curling protectively around him, as she launched herself from the wall. Her shoulder crashed into the right door, swinging it open to the path beyond, as the jaws clacked against the black stones again, barely missing her ankle. Then the pair began to tumble down the helping hands tunnel, yet the hands did nothing, they hung their lifeless, several sporting cobwebs as Sarah tumbled. She didn't have any time to think to brace herself for the hard crash against the hard dirt at the bottom of the oubliette.

* * *

"She's in the oubliette," Kaiaraki said, having narrated the whole event, shakily. The Goblin King remained silent, perched on the window sill. Kaiaraki bit her lip, considering her words carefully, she had to test a theory, "It was a very hard fall," Kaiaraki said lightly, and watched her king visibly tighten, "I think she might be hurt."

Jareth stood up from his perch, "Is he well?" the king said cryptically, "The prisoner in cell 0321, the one I asked you to look after?"

"Yes sir," Kaiaraki said.

The Goblin King strode towards the door, Kaiaraki froze, watching him stride by as she turned and began following, at a respectable distance of course. In her trembling hands was the crystal globe, she kept watching the progress of the runner carefully, her mind buzzing with questions.

* * *

"My lady," Didymus cried, as he squiggled from the grip of the body which cushioned his own fall.

"I'm alright Sir Didymus," Sarah said beginning to shuffle, "I landed flat." She was planning to stand when pain shot through her body, delayed by the shock of falling. She looked at her left leg, curled up behind her back in a most unnatural manner, although she could only see it by the faint light of the oubliette grate. "Well, mostly flat," she admitted uncomfortably as the fox goblin scuttled around her in a near panic.

The fox goblin, was muttering under his breath, circling around Sarah constantly, occasionally reaching out only to stop at the last moment and back away. "I think it's broken," Sarah said fighting back the pain filled tears, "you're going to have to set it."

"Set it?" Didymus would've visibly paled were he not furry and been in such a dark room, but Sarah could hear it in his voice.

"Line up the bones so that it can splinted, like what I did with your arm," Sarah bit her lip, drawing blood, thankful for the First Aid lessons she'd been forced to take when her step-mother had become pregnant with Toby. Sarah could feel, Didymus' soft padded paws rest against her leg, and-

* * *

Even Jareth winced at the scream, the scream of horrible agony that rang clear across the entire Labyrinth. Kaiaraki had watched what happened, then lifted her eyes to stare in horror at her master.

"Go get the prisoner," Jareth said calmly, "I'll meet you in the throne room."

"Of course Your Majesty," Kaiaraki said, and scampered out of sight, although not out of earshot, her cat ears prickled up nervously, as she tilted her head backward to listen to the faint muttering of her master.

"Bitch maze," he growled softly, "just this once, listen to my conscious will… and send her my strength…"

Kaiaraki blinked in confusion, her attention suddenly whirled to the crystal she still held, it radiated light, the oubliette she was viewing filled with light.

* * *

Sarah closed her eyes with the warmth that surrounded her, it was like when she had touched the labyrinth walls, nostalgic. Didymus' eyes widened as he glanced around the room, "Healing magic?"

"Didymus, that's amazing," Sarah smiled as her broken leg tingled pleasantly.

"It's not me, my lady; few goblins have the magic to do something like that."

"Then, how'd it get here?" Sarah asked.

"Seems like you have a secret angel," Didymus said, he knew of course, only the Goblin King would be able to channel magic through the labyrinth itself. However, without knowing the king's intentions it was probably best not to worry Sarah with that information, probably. The underground was considerably safer than the remaining Labyrinth above at any rate.

* * *

"Beh," the prison walking behind Kaiaraki griped as they headed for the throne room, "what kind bloke locks another bloke up for three years, then brings me up. Not satisfied to let me rot Jareth?"

"I don't suggest you use those kinds of words around our king," Kaiaraki warned him, "unless you'd rather have your life end right away." She pushed the door open and headed into the throne room. "I've brought the prisoner you requested, young master," she said with a bow, and pushed her grouchy counterpart forward, backing away.

Jareth looked up at the wrinkled dwarf, "It's good to see you, Hoggle."

* * *

A/N: Whoo, what a twist! I have been planning this for so long, but you'll learn more about that next chapter. I you review it might make me write faster. (hint hint, nudge nudge)


	8. Unlikely Messenger

A/N: Well here's the next chapter, it came out of me really fast, I hit a writer's spree and completed three chapters at once. I was kind of hoping to put this one up based on rave reviews, but don't update for a long time and readers peter out like that. To make myself feel better I'm just going to say that some who would've reviewed are vacationing and having too much fun to get on the computers presently. In any case, hopefully all you readers will go review crazy on this chapter, and then I can post the next chapter within twenty four hours, that's always cool. So REVIEW PLEASE!

Anywho this chapter revolves entirely around Hoggle, although we see some of the determination that led Sarah to come to the labyrinth, it's all from Hoggle's vantage point. This is the first chapter that relies heavily on storyline developed in King's Curse, so if any of you haven't read it yet, now might be a good time.

* * *

Chapter Eight - Unlikely Messenger

Jareth looked up at the wrinkled dwarf, "It's good to see you, Hoggle." Hoggle's eyes widened, mostly at the fact that the King had actually used his real name, he'd been called Hedgewart, Hoghead, Hogbrain, but the King only used his real name when he was dead serious.

"W-what do you need me for your highness?" he stuttered looking into the peircing eyes behind his dark hair.

"Or would you prefer the name Matt?"

"What?" Hoggle froze, even Kaiaraki's head shot up at the title.

"I grant you all the memories of your human life," Jareth said, watching his subject's eyes widen as knowledge filled his brain. "I also grant you the ability to regain the appearance of your human self at any time you see fit." Hoggle's knees gave out beneath him as he tried to comprehend the situation. "These gifts come with a task of course," Jareth said, "Sarah is back in the Labyrinth, you must convince her to leave, take her back to the beginning, she'll know where the portal to her world is. At that point you may leave with her, if you do, your human life should be able to resume without any obstacle."

"Why are you doing this?" Hoggle asked in hushed silence.

"Go to her," he instructed, "as Matt, Hoggle, or both convince her to leave the Labyrinth," Jareth got up from his seat opening a portal behind the dwarf goblin and pushing him through.

Hoggle landed with a grunt, and his large ears were met with, "Who's there?!"

"Me," Hoggle said feeling his way to the candle and lighting it, brushing the dust off his hands and jacket.

"Hoggle," Sarah said softly, as the light from the candle slowly lighted her delighted sparkling eyes. "Hoggle," she said more loudly, getting up on her newly healed leg and tossing herself against his squat form.

"Sir Hoggle," Didymus said cheerily, "I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you well."

Hoggle felt a blush rising to his cheeks, the soft and supple young woman on top of him was once his classmate. He'd never really noticed her before he became a goblin, he'd only found out from a note passed to him in class by her friend Nicole that Sarah was interested in him. That very night the Goblin King had approached him with a challenge that he foolishly accepted. He knew Sarah as Hoggle, grew fond of her as Hoggle, and never acted due to the total inappropriateness of that relationship as Hoggle. Now he was also Matt, his knowledge of the natural world and this magical world fused. Jareth's words were no longer a mystery to him, 'if she kisses you', Jareth was counting on Sarah's affection to lead her out of the Labyrinth.

"Hi Sarah," Hoggle said, paralyzed under her touch.

"I was so worried about you," Sarah said pulling away, her eyes still twinkling with joy. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to lead you back to the beginning," Hoggle cracked a smile. "You have to get out of the Labyrinth Sarah, it's now safe."

"I know," she said, "Didymus has informed me of the dangers, but please, what about Ludo, is he safe too, do you know where he is?"

Hoggle froze, he didn't know the fate of the hairy giant, but he had to consider how to get Sarah out of there. "He's gone," Hoogle said sadly, "Jareth took his life, I buried him with me own hands."

"My brother," Didymus said sadly, moving next to Sarah, laying his paw on her knee to comfort her.

The tears welled up in Sarah's eyes, but he had to say it. If he had told Sarah that he was alive, then Sarah would want to go see him. If he told the truth in saying that he didn't know then Sarah would keep looking for him. If Ludo was dead, which the red beast probably was, then Sarah could mourn him and move on, she'd have no reason to stay in the Labyrinth after all.

Sarah's fair skinned hands covered her face to hide her tears, a difficult thing to watch. "Come on Sarah, I'm getting you out of here," Hoggle said and uncovered the magical door that opened to the underground passageways. Quickly Sarah stood and followed him out, with Didymus covering the rear.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Sarah chased the dwarf through the corridors, then came to an abrupt stop. The false alarm in front of her was silent, its stone face looked so dead, inert, and not just in the way that a stone face always did.

"What happened to the false alarms?" Sarah asked.

"There are no longer any false alarms," Didymus said, as Hoggle came back from the corridor, "false alarms indicate that there is no danger present, now there is never a time when we're safe."

"Although they did say, 'look out behind you' for about a week," Hoggle said. "Come on, Sarah."

"That's the way to the entrance, right?" Sarah asked, putting her hand on Hoggle's shoulder to stop him.

"Then let's go this way," Sarah said and took a different fork.

"Sarah, this place is too dangerous," Hoggle said.

"Sir Hoggle is right, my lady," Didymus joined in, "I've lost my brother to this accursed place, I do not wish to lose you as well…"

"I'm sorry Didymus, Hoggle," Sarah said, "but I'm staying."

"Sarah," Hoggle said, grabbing the girl's hand, "I know what I'm about to tell you will come as a shock…" Focussing for a brief moment, Hoggle felt his bones and muscles lengthen, his wrinkles smooth away. "Do you recognize me?" he asked softly.

"Sir Hoggle?" Didymus gasped.

"Matt," Sarah said softly, he had aged three years, but there he was a boy in Sarah's freshman class. "How?"

"Please listen to me Sarah, I have to take you back to our world. I am Matt, I was turned into Hoggle because I wasn't strong enough to be your prince…"

"What?" Sarah stared at him gaping.

"You're my princess Sarah, and I have to rescue you in order to be the prince of your dreams. Please, there's nothing here for you, let me rescue you." Sarah's heart was beating somewhere in her throat, her chest was warm, her face was warm. "If you don't like me anymore I'd understand, but I'm ready to be a prince for you, if you'll have me." Matt knew Sarah, he knew her love of fantasy, this kind of confession would push the right buttons if anything would. Her blush grew almost crimson as Matt bent down and kissed her hand.

That was the gesture that made her remember, "What did you go as to the Halloween dance?"

"Huh?"

"Please? What did you go as to the Halloween dance?"

"I went as a zombie, why?"

"Then I'm sorry for misleading you, I thought you might have been someone else, I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble." Sarah turned from her friend and started heading down the corridor she'd chosen.

"Wait," Matt grabbed her hand again, "it doesn't matter, I'm here for you, but you're the only one who can take me back to my normal life Sarah, please, I need your help." He'd never said please so many time before in his entire life, it was starting to leave a foul taste in his mouth.

"You're my friend," Sarah smiled gently, "I'll do everything I can to help you, but I have to help save the Labyrinth first."

"This world is beyond saving! We have to get out while we can!"

"If you want to leave, the portal our world is by the tree at the top of the hill, at the entrance where I first met you as Hoggle. I've made up my mind to do everything I can for this world."

Matt shook as Sarah began walking away from him, a slightly confused Didymus following after her. A growl rose up in his throat, his human body was young, strong. "No," he said loudly and grabbed Sarah's arm, "I'm taking you back, even if I have to drag you the whole way!"

"No, Matt, stop it!" Sarah tugged back. His grip tightened, and she emitted a pained squeak as her body crumpled at his touch. Then the point of Didymus' star staff touched Matt's throat gently.

"Let Lady Sarah go this instant Sir Hoggle," Didymus said darkly.

"It's the only way to protect her, get out of my way."

"A coward's way out is not valiant Sir Hoggle, a knight should never treat a lady badly."

"Stop calling me by that stupid Goblin name!"

"You moron," Sarah spat, dangling meekly from her arm, "you're supposedly 'my prince'. Where did you ever get that stupid notion? You were a coward and a traitor when you acted as Hoggle too. I forgave you that time, because in the end you helped me rescue Toby. Just look at yourself. If you really knew me you would know that I'll never abandon the people I love, I wouldn't abandon Toby, I won't abandon you, and I won't abandon this kingdom that allowed me to meet you." Sarah's voice became soft and wistful, "I'll understand if you want to get away from this place as fast as you can, but I can't, I love this place, because I love the friends I've made here. I love you Hoggle, I love Ludo, I love Didymus, I love a little blue worm, I love the two headed guards, I love the helping hands, I love the false alarms, I love the weird old man and his bird hat, I even love the fiery's. I love it all Hoggle. I have to try."

Matt's hand slipped away from Sarah's arm, and he stood there watching her walk away, with Didymus loyally plodding along by her side. He scrunched his face, feeling his wrinkles shape beneath his fingers. Even as Hoggle, he hated this place, he turned and headed towards the entrance and the tree at the top of the hill.

As he turned a corner he came face to face with Jareth, or as close to face to face as he could as Hoggle, which was more like face to hip.

"You've failed Hoggle," Jareth said darkly.

"Y-Your Majesty," Hoggle stuttered, "Sarah's just a little mad, I'll catch up to her and make her leave, just like you told me to."

"No, you won't, you've used up your last chance, I'll deal with Sarah myself, and I'll deal with you later," he said, opening a portal behind Hoggle and pushing the dwarf through it, back into the prison cell where he had started.


	9. No Choice

A/N: Hello all, I've got another update for all the lovely people who reviewed my story. The people who didn't review are not allowed to read this chapter, you all have to go back and review your favorite chapter so far. Now if only I had mastery over the internet to enforce those kinds of demands. I don't, but hopefully it got across my desire for reviews, I like reviews, really I think everybody likes reviews, I haven't read anyone's fanfic who said otherwise. So enjoy and review:

* * *

Chapter Nine - No Choice

"It doesn't appear to be working, the boy is trying force the girl out," Kaiaraki said as she stared into the crystal, then she glanced upwards. "If you don't mind my asking, why can you not watch the girl's progression on your own?"

"I don't want to see her," Jareth said darkly, "but I can't tolerate having an intruder in my labyrinth."

"I see," Kaiaraki turned her attention back to the crystal. "The dwarf has failed; he's walking in the opposite direction of the girl and the fox goblin."

"Then I'll be going to resolve the situation myself," Jareth said standing up, he took long strides towards the cat goblin, lifting the crystal from her paws. "Hodgepodge was bound to let me down at any rate," he said, walking through a randomly opened portal.

Kaiaraki sighed, and let herself droop to the floor, "What could you possibly be thinking young master?"

-

Sarah walked through the underground tunnels, they were colder than she remembered, damp, and crumbling. "It's changed down here too," Sarah noted to herself, "Sir Didymus, do you have any idea what part of the Labyrinth is above us right now?"

"I have no idea my lady," the fox goblin replied scrambling over fallen stones, "but we're probably better off down here at any rate."

"Why's that?" Sarah asked.

"The tunnels are slowly collapsing," Didymus said sadly, "but the monstrosities that hunt the surface don't come down here, or at least that's what I heard."

"Who'd you hear it from?"

"A forager my lady, one day he was up on the surface to collect some food before he returned underground, he invited me to join him. Supposedly the goblins have been surviving in pockets down here, I even heard that there was a leader underground, planning on mounting a resistance to take back the Labyrinth."

"Then we should probably go find them then," Sarah said softly, "they can probably help us, or we can help them."

"I don't think so," Didymus replied checking the tunnels ahead of them, "even if we find them, their plan would be one of pure force, even if they didn't fail the Labyrinth would collapse into chaos without a king."

"Really, what would happen?"

"I don't know my lady, but according to the old scholars the Labyrinth is very much alive, and a king is necessary for it to continue being so. As much as I don't like what the king is doing, I could never kill him."

"I see," Sarah said, and then reached out for Didymus, laying her hand on the little goblin's shoulder, "thank you for coming with me Sir Didymus."

"I promised I would protect you my lady," the fox goblin said.

"And you've been doing a _grand_ job," a silky voice behind them said sarcastically. Sarah knew that voice, the black ink had not changed the king's accent, and she turned to face him, only noticing the vaguest of outlines in the shadows, a few meters away. Immediately Didymus began to growl a low growl, stepping between Sarah and Jareth protectively. The Goblin King seemed to pay little heed to the tiny knight, "It's such a surprise to see you, Sarah," he said coyly, "if you happen to be looking for your baby brother, he is not here."

"Actually I was looking for you," Sarah said, "I'm wanted to ask you about the way you are treating your subjects, several of them happen to be friends of mine."

"They're my subjects, and none of your concern," he countered.

"I've made them my concern," Sarah said snidely, "keep in mind, that my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great."

The goblin king began chuckling, a dark maniacal chuckle that made the hair on the back of Sarah's neck raise. "It's nothing of the sort Sarah," Jareth said and stepped forward, Sarah's eyes widening at the sight of his black hair, and Didymus' star staff pointing at his chest.

"Then tell me what's going on?" Sarah demanded.

"What's going on is that you've intruded upon my kingdom, and that gives me every legal right to kill you."

"You'll do nothing of the sort," Didymus snapped, "I've made an oath to protect this young lady, and I will die before I fail at it."

"Oh, that's excellent Sir Didymus, turning my subconscious orders into conscious self orders, I must commend you on that," Jareth said, as Sarah stood there blinking in confusion. "I cannot deny your spirit, fox knight, your reward will be a quick death."

"No!" Sarah yelled, as she watched the crystalline sword materialize in the Goblin King's hand as he sidestepped Didymus' first swing.

"Is that the best you've got?" Jareth asked as he parried Didymus' next swing with ease. "You're not going to be able to defeat me if you're not giving it your all, Sir Didymus." Another easily parried blow, "Come come, I know you've more spunk than this, you do realize that by getting rid of me, her precious Labyrinth will return to normal." Didymus growled and lunged again, it was easily parried, this was sheer simplicity for the Goblin King. "Killing me will save this kingdom, isn't it your duty as a knight to do that?" he asked, the rage almost visibly flicking off his tongue. "Come on, Sir Didymus, _kill me_," Jareth taunted, dodging or blocking every one of Didymus' strikes, "or perhaps you're just not up to being a knight."

"Stop it," Sarah cried, "stop it!"

Didymus continued to swing at Jareth, continued to be blocked.

"Kill me, Sir Didymus, or else my wrath will fall on Sarah," Jareth raged, and the star staff made a distinctive thunk against his gut. The Goblin King crumpled to the ground as her regained his breath, "Very good, Sir Didymus, but it's obvious you haven't the drive to kill me."

Then Jareth moved his sword to strike, and as Sarah screamed his crystalline blade struck the soft earth, he had barely missed Didymus' throat, and let the sword stay there to show the small knight the futility of his battle. Lifting Didymus with his bare hand Jareth tossed the fox goblin through a newly created portal, and turned towards Sarah.

"I've spared you the sight of his death Sarah, you should thank me." Suddenly Sarah's open palm collided with Jareth's cheek, all the strength she could muster had thrown his head to one side, and he left it there, staring into the darkness of the tunnel.

"What did you do?!" Sarah demanded, then stepped back horrified, "He just disappeared."

"Teleported to my dungeon to await execution, as is that pathetic dwarf, you're so frustratingly fond of," he said while keeping his head turned away from Sarah.

Sarah however stared angrily at the dark haired mass, "Execution?! You're just waiting to rid me of the best friends I've ever had? Did you let me in here just to spite me by killing my best friends? You've already killed Ludo, isn't that enough?"

"I've not touched your red beast," Jareth snapped, turning to look at Sarah's trembling face. "Is that what that miserable Hogface told you? Poor gullible Sarah, give it up, I'll send you home, and you can pretend this never happened."

"No," Sarah said, "I'm stopping this, I've seen what's happened to your kingdom, and I'm here to do anything I can to stop it."

"You can't do anything about it Sarah," Jareth hissed, "you're not a runner anymore, you don't have any choice in the matter."

"Even if you send me away, I'll just come back," Sarah said solidly.

"I can send you away again and again, your efforts are futile."

"I don't care, I'll come back again and again."

"Don't make me do something rash Sarah."

"I won't stop trying to save this world until I'm dead."

"Then I suppose you leave me no choice." Sarah's eyes widened in horror as Jareth stepped closer to her, "I'll be taking you prisoner until my task is finished," he said, and grabbed her hand, his magic flowing into her, the only thing Sarah noticed before collapsing asleep in his arms was that his touch was surprisingly gentle.

Jareth looked down at the sleeping girl with a sigh. "You'll always be a soft spot won't you?" he asked her comatose body, as he gently lifted her and stepped through a fresh portal.

On the other side was the spare bedroom, the guest bedroom he'd changed for her over three years ago. Gently he laid her on the bed, dropping her backpack at the side of the bed, a honey coloured four poster with a peach blossom design on the comforter. For a moment he swallowed the nausea of travelling the portals on his own two feet, something that had always made him ill, and do so three times in a row did not help. Then, summoning a crystal he touched it to Sarah's bare hand, instantly reading her dreams and desires before adjusting the room to suit her.

"I'm doing this for your own sake Sarah," he explained to no one as his black ink moved about the room, Sarah still fast asleep. "As an intruder the Labyrinth itself will not go easily on you, by bringing you into my house I've acknowledged you as a guest, you'll be safe. And when this sick world is destroyed, I'll return you home to lead a normal life."

Jareth turned towards the door again and paused looking at Kaiaraki's saucer shaped eyes that had been witness to the whole thing. "If you'll accompany her Kaiaraki then she may wander the castle freely," he said flatly. "However I would strongly suggest that you do not leave the castle because I intend on destroying this world as soon as possible to ensure her swift return home." He stalked past the cat goblin, his crystal sword materializing a moment before he stepped through another portal.

"Destroying this world," Kaiaraki mulled over the words. Kaiaraki turned to look at the young woman lying asleep on the bed, "Lady Amelia, what has my young master got stuck in his head this time?"

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A/N: Honestly this chapter makes me a little sad, I don't think Jareth came across as intense as I wanted him to, oh well.


	10. Prisoner

A/N: Hooray, here's chapter ten, I think this story might be stopping at twelve chapters, but the last chapter is still in progress so it might end up as thirteen, even though that's totally cliche. Anywho this chapter is all about Sarah as she is now a prisoner in Jareth's castle, although she's not exactly locked up in a torture chamber subject to our dark king's libido. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review afterward.

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Chapter Ten - Prisoner

Sarah's eyes fluttered open, and she stared up with confusion at the gauzy material that curtained the four poster bed. Slowly sitting up Sarah tried to determine whether or not she was dreaming, waking up in a strange place, surely that only happened in dreams. Squeezing the comforter slightly Sarah stood up, her eyes falling upon the peach on the nightstand and a distinct wave of déjà vu hit her. Then her eyes began searching the room, a castle shelf holding her favourite plush toys, her vanity, an old fashioned wardrobe, her eyes widened at the corner however, a proper sewing model stood tall, a sewing machine next to it, and the nearby wall was covered with hanging reels of some of the most gorgeous fabrics that Sarah had ever seen. Immediately standing and moving over to it Sarah couldn't suppress the slight squeal that tickled its way up her throat as she brushed her cheek against the velvets and silks.

"Hello miss," called a soft and gentle voice at the door, "I hope I'm not intruding."

Sarah turned and stared at the black furred cat goblin standing at the door, wearing a gorgeous old fashioned dress, including lace collar. "Is that late Victorian?" Sarah asked, dazzled, suddenly flopping onto hands and knees inches from the cat goblin's face in order to examine the dress.

Kaiaraki squeaked helplessly, "Sorry, designer's kick," Sarah apologized, sitting back onto her ankles, and allowing the cat to breathe, "you're a goblin aren't you?"

"Yes?" Sarah mentally stored the fantastic memories that were suddenly confirmed. "My name Kaiaraki," she muttered helplessly, "the king has asked me to accommodate your every need during your visit."

"Visit, how picturesque, I was under the impression that it was an imprisonment," Sarah said sarcastically.

"He wouldn't- I'm sure that-" Kaiaraki took a deep breath, "His Majesty expressly told me that you may go anywhere in the castle you wish, and I was to accompany you."

"So you're my personal guard," Sarah said peevishly.

"I don't think that His Majesty put any limits on you that he did not feel were for your personal safety," Kaiaraki rambled.

"Well Kaiah, I suppose if the Goblin King is so lenient with me, then he won't mind my going to visit my friends in the dungeon. Can you take me there?"

Kaiaraki was bewildered by the sudden nickname, but nodded and held open the door to the hall. The breath left Sarah's lungs as she left the room, suddenly assaulted with the same black marble that consumed the labyrinth. For a moment she wondered why her own room was any different before she allowed the cat goblin to lead her through the less than Escher complicated corridors of the castle.

"What happened to the Escher room?" Sarah asked as they continued down the stairs.

"It went away when the black ink reshaped the castle," Kaiaraki explained.

"Does that happen often, places disappearing and reappearing?"

"Well the Escher room appeared quite suddenly to begin with," Kaiaraki said, "but mostly things remain the same within the walls of the goblin city, although the labyrinth itself is usually in a state of constant flux."

"If it's constantly changing, how does anyone get anywhere?" Sarah asked.

"Well King Nerzel once told me that every goblin is connected to the Labyrinth, and so the Labyrinth guides us through, however the king is more than connected to the labyrinth, but Nerzel never explained that to me."

"Who's Nerzel?"

"He was the Goblin King before Jareth assumed the throne, and Jareth's father."

"There's so much about this place I don't know," Sarah sighed, suddenly feeling more aware of what little hope she had of doing anything about it.

"We're here," Kaiaraki said, fishing keys out her pocket for the basement door. It swung wide revealing a complex torture chamber, where Sarah was immediately thankful no one was in it presently. "Hopefully your friend was sent back the same cell, Hoggle right?"

"And Sir Didymus," Sarah specified.

"The fox goblin you were travelling with," Kaiaraki noted, "I remember when the king was signing his knighting paper, hopefully he's nearby."

That was when Sarah saw the two, in cells next to each other, "Hoggle, Sir Didymus," she called, kneeling down at the point where she could reach into both the cells at once.

"My Lady," Didymus cried happily, running forward to take Sarah's outstretched hand.

Hoggle however remained still, sitting against the cell wall, "So this is what dealing with you himself looks like huh?"

"Hoggle is something wrong?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know if it'll help you," Hoggle said hazily, "but you probably deserve to know anyway."

"Know what?" Sarah asked.

"Jareth is in love with you," Hoggle sounded almost bored on the back wall.

"What?" Sarah froze, trying to see whether or not Hoggle was lying again.

"He was in love with you before I even turned in a goblin," he said quietly, "I don't know how long it was until you came to the labyrinth though."

"No," Sarah said shaking her head, her cheeks warming, "you have to be mistaken, he couldn't be…"

"Yes, I think he is," Kaiaraki said softly, "I've known young master Jareth his whole life and I don't think he's ever felt as strongly for anyone than he has for you."

"My my," his silky voice echoed through the dungeons, "what kind of conversation am I accidentally eaves dropping on?"

Kaiaraki jumped, scrambling behind Sarah trembling, the fox goblin's paw coming to rest on her shoulder comfortingly. Sarah was not nearly so intimidated, stood up, hoping her blush had faded as she practically glared at the goblin king.

"I was just on my way to execute some pests," Jareth said glancing into the pair of cells.

"No," Sarah yelled, her blush suddenly paling out, her fingers wrapped around Jareth's arm as he approached Hoggle's cell.

"If you want to spare your eyes Sarah, you should leave," Jareth suggested, not looking at the young woman clinging to him, his face still.

Sarah's chest trembled as she breathed, but she shook her head, "If the most I can do for my friends is be with them in their last moments then I will."

"So be it," Jareth said darkly, turning towards Hoggle, pulling away from Sarah's grip. "Hoggle, Matt, you have lived two lives, one of them must go, you can forget your life as a goblin and return to your human life, or you can continue your goblin life, forget your human life once more and die as a goblin when the time comes." Blinking Sarah stepped back from the goblin king, a thousand questions swimming through her brain.

For a long time Hoggle was silent before he replied, "I want to be Matt." His muscles and bones began to lengthen once more, and he tiredly slumped forward, fast asleep. Jareth opened the cell and dragged the boy through a portal, not gone for more than a couple minutes before he walked through another portal, suddenly standing in front of Didymus' cell.

"I know you have no memory of your life in the human world, but the choice extends to you as well, goblin knight, this life or that life."

"I don't care what offers you make your majesty, I will honour my oath and stay with Sarah even if we are separate by all the cells and oubliettes in this kingdom," Didymus said firmly.

"Noble as always," Jareth swung the cell door open, "keep to your charge then, you may accompany Sarah's every step until your time comes."

Sarah's eyes lit up at Didymus ran from the cell into her arms. Jareth was already walking further into the prison, "Now, if you don't want to hear them screaming you should heed my suggestions this once and take your leave. I am emptying the prisons today."

For a moment Sarah looked defiantly at the goblin king before she left a pair of paws on either hand as her animalistic companions pulled her away.

"I don't understand," Sarah cried aloud, as Kaiaraki and Sir Didymus led her out from the prisons and torture room, "What good am I if I don't understand?"

"I don't know, his highness is rather unrelenting when he puts his mind to something," Kaiaraki said quietly, "I don't know what you can do."

"What is he doing?" Sarah asked turning to Kaiaraki, "What does he want? What's his goal? Maybe if I understand his motive I can understand why he's doing this."

"He," Kaiaraki took a moment to breathe, "he said he was going to destroy the labyrinth."

"And you told me that every goblin is connected to the labyrinth," Sarah reflected, "so maybe by killing off goblins is affecting the labyrinth."

"But the king's will is the driving force of the labyrinth," Didymus said, "the walls would crumble to his will, wouldn't they?"

"No, they wouldn't," Kaiaraki said, "I overheard him, the labyrinth isn't listening to him like it should."

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair, exhausted.

"This is too much strain on you my lady," Didymus protested, "rest, perhaps if you stopped thinking so hard the answers would come to you."

"Maybe you're right Sir Didymus," Sarah said softly.

"A long bath," Kaiaraki suggested, "and then dinner, I can inform the cook if you'd like anything in particular."

Sarah smiled, a little sadly, then wrapped her arms around the two goblins, "Alright, you guys win, it's too to one against."

"Perhaps, I should be the one to speak with the chef," Didymus said, "I don't think my presence would be appreciated while you're bathing." Sarah nodded.

"It's the third left down that hall," Kaiaraki pointed, "Tuffi is always in the kitchens."

Didymus nodded to Kaiaraki, and the cat goblin turned towards Sarah, and led her back to her room, running the water, while Sarah headed for the closet. "Let's see what the goblin king thinks I would wear," she swung the doors open and froze. Staring back at her was a pale green dress with intricate beadwork on a sheer layer, it was the grad dress that Sarah had wanted. She lifted it from the closet and ran her fingers over the beadwork with bright eyes.

"A lovely choice," Kaiaraki said softly, the bath is drawn and ready for you.

"Thanks Kaiah," Sarah said softly handing the dress off to the open armed cat goblin heading towards the washroom. She undressed and climbed into the warm bath her mind still alive with questions. "Does he… really love me?" she puzzled aloud.


	11. A Song and a Heartbeat

A/N: This chapter! This chapter is what this story is all about! I could've taken this story a completely different direction but I just desperately wanted to write this bit of interaction between Sarah and Jareth! Anyways, the song in this chapter that I've gotten Jareth to borrow is _Vanessa Carlton's More Than Wanted_, and is an excellent listen that I felt was very much a dark Jareth song despite having a female singer, just mentally replace it with David Bowie's singing okay. And review! I like reviews they make me work faster, and seeing as how I'm not quite finished the chapter after this a little extra boost of rah rah would be nice. ENJOY!

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Chapter Eleven - A Song and a Heartbeat

Sarah couldn't help but run her fingers over the intricate bead work of the pale green dress. It was her dream dress, the grad dress that escaped her, the perfect size, and perfect fit.

"You look lovely Sarah," Sir Didymus stood next to Kaiaraki.

"Yeah, but I guess I should change back into my regular clothes," Sarah said almost pouting.

"The servants here are used to accommodating King Jareth's elaborate wardrobe, you'll not be out of place in the slightest," Kaiah assured her.

"Yeah, but somehow it feels like admitting defeat," Sarah said quietly. "Oh well, it doesn't matter, let's head down for some dinner, hmm?"

"Right this way Sarah," Kaiaraki said leading the way, Didymus taking up defensive position in the rear.

Sarah followd the goblin pair as they stepped into the hall, her many questions swirling back to the peak of her thoughts as she was once again surrounded by the black stones. "What room is this?" Sarah asked pointing to the next door.

"This is King Jareth's sleeping quarters," Kaiaraki said.

"Because that's not stalker creepy," Sarah said, and continued following.

"Well, this is the dining room," Kaiaraki said opening the wide double doors to reveal an elegant dining room where Tuffi bumbled around the table setting it with the most gorgeous yet bizarre food that Sarah had ever laid eyes on.

Sitting down with her eyes bright, Sarah realized how hungry she was, reaching for what looked like might have been roasted pork. Suddenly a light squeak caught her attention, and Sarah turned to the door where Jareth had grabbed onto the chef`s collar lifting the panicked she-goblin off the floor. "Have these recipes been prepared out of my mother's cook book?" he asked darkly. Tuffi nodded and Jareth put her down and allowed her to scamper off, before turning away from the table himself

"Jareth," Sarah called sharply standing up from her seat, watching the goblin king stop abruptly, for a moment it looked like he might turn but he didn't. "What does it matter which cook book the recipe is from?" Sarah asked.

"Human stomachs are weaker than goblin stomachs Sarah," he replied still not turning to face her, "I suspect those recipes will better satisfy you."

Sarah sat down in the seat again, letting the goblin king walk out of the room before she turned to Kaiaraki. "What's significant about it being his mother's recipes?" she asked quietly.

"Lady Amelia insisted on never becoming a goblin," Kaiaraki explained, "she remained human until her death, shortly after King Nerzel passed away and King Jareth assumed the throne."

"So then, Jareth is only a half-goblin?"

"I suspect it's the only reason the young master is even living, goblins cannot have children, King Jareth is the very first to inherit the kingdom by birthright."

"Lady Amelia," Sarah mulled over the words, "wait, Amelia Saunders?"

"Yes," Kaiaraki replied with a slight jump.

"That's the author of the Labyrinth," Sarah said, "it's one of my favourite books! But that would mean that... Jareth isn't the same Jareth from the book, is he?"

"King Nerzel wanted to name Jareth after the character from Amelia's book," Kaiaraki explained, "the events are based upon Amelia's experience with the Labyrinth, so really the Jareth from the novel is Nerzel."

Sarah leaned on the table, her brain trying to process everything it was receiving, but all of it was combining into a jumbled in her head. Food first, Sarah decided after a moment of pondering and served herself a portion of several of the dishes. "What about the black ink? Where does that come from?" Sarah asked as her brain finally wrapped around what she was hearing.

"That Jareth has had since he was little, it started showing up around his fiftieth birthday, although it was any number of colors then, he used to use it like paint. He stopped around the time his father died, he started using the black ink again only in these past three years."

"Hmm," Sarah tapped her fork against the table to try and stimulate her thoughts. "Are there any records of this sort of thing happening before?" Sarah asked.

"In the library perhaps," Kaiaraki said, "I can take you there."

"Okay, and while I'm looking at books could you map out the entire castle for me?" Sarah asked, finishing up her plate of food with newfound enthusiasm.

"Certainly," Kaiaraki nodded as Sarah stood up from the table.

As they were walking down the hall, Sarah could hear piano music, rich and intense. "Is there a piano in the library?" Sarah asked softly.

"Yes," Kaiaraki replied, confused by the sound herself.

Then the lyrics drifted past Sarah's ears, in that silky voice,

I have wandered far and wide  
For something real something to die for  
But I have found you and you do not see  
All that is me, all that is true

And I am more than you will see  
And I am more than you will need  
And I am more than you will see  
More than wanted

Jareth stopped playing suddenly as Sarah poked her head into the library, although he did not look up from the piano.

"Don't mind me," she said, "just looking for some reading material, Kaiaraki, you were going to make me a map…"

"I'd have to go down to the study," Kaiaraki said with a slight tremble in her voice.

"I'll be staying in the library," Sarah said, hiding her own trembling, "surely with the goblin king here I do not need you watching me."

"I suppose," Kaiaraki said looking at the king for some signal, she got none from the statue still half-goblin.

Sarah could feel her own heartbeat pounding against her chest, "Why don't you go with her Didymus? I wouldn't want Kaiah to get lonely." Hiding her terror was difficult, but taking risks was part of taking nothing for granted, which was a must when dealing with the labyrinth.

"If you say so, my lady," Didymus said with a gulp leaving the room with the cat goblin.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jareth asked, still seated at the now silent piano.

"Just doing exactly what I intended," Sarah said, drifting into a row of books, "I'm doing everything I can to stop you, I was thinking I could look up something on the black ink."

"You won't find anything," Jareth said, "there's nothing in any of these books, if there were then current circumstances might not be what they are."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, but got only silence. Poking her head out from the stack of books she looked to the piano just making sure the Goblin King still sitting there. "I liked the song you were playing, what's it called?"

"I haven't named it," he replied, still avoiding her gaze.

"You wrote it?" Sarah asked, drifting back into the book stacks.

"Yes," he replied his fingers hitting the keys again, he continued to play the elaborate tune.

Sarah wrinkled her nose, he was trying to silence her by playing wasn't he, "It sounds like the one you sang in the Escher room, did you write that one too?"

"Yes," he said and began again into the lyrics,

And as you float the flimsy surface  
You should know life lies beneath it  
And dont pretend you feel what I feel  
For you live illusion and I'm real

The lyrics sent a tingle up Sarah's spine, she needed him to talk, not just sing, "Did you write the one you sang while we were dancing?"

"Not exactly,"

And I am more than you will see  
And I am more than you will need  
And I am more than you will see  
More than wanted

"You like writing music?" Sarah asked, coming out from the stacks and standing by the piano, watching the goblin king's controlled and averted gaze.

"It's one of only two things that both of us agreed about," he said, "although I can't make any claims for the third of us."

"Three of you?" Sarah puzzled.

"Yes, but father locked me away," Jareth said darkly, staring at the keys, not lifting his head,

And I am more than you will see  
And I am more than you will need  
And I am more than you will see  
More than wanted

And I know, I know  
You like the way you feel when I play  
I know, I know  
You don't really hear what I say  
And I know, I know  
You are waiting for something to reign  
I know, I know  
You wish you could be more than you say

He never lifted his head, Sarah's face wrinkled as the fact was accentuated, frustrating her, or maybe it was the tingling lyrics that annoyed her so much, "You know, usually people want to look at the people they supposedly like when they're wearing pretty strapless dresses," Sarah said leaning on the piano top. Jareth twitched, looking up from the piano keys, and staring at Sarah, still singing,

And I am more than you will see  
And I am more than you will need  
And I am more than you will see  
More than wanted

Sarah blushed, looking away, hearing the goblin king snicker she whirled towards him with an angry face, only to see him standing. Yet the music was still going, the piano played on its own, he still sang,

And I am more than you will see  
And I am more than you will need  
And I am more than you will see  
More than wanted

Sarah froze, her heart thumping terrified against her chest as the goblin king walked out from behind the seat of the piano.

More than you'll love  
More than you'll hate  
More than you'll have  
More than wanted

He stepped towards her, circling slightly, she could feel her own pulse in her entire body,

More than you'll need  
More than you'll dream  
More than you'll hold  
More than wanted

His hands came to rest against the piano, on either side of Sarah's hips, she could no longer hide her trembling,

More than you'll crave  
More than you'll cherish  
More than you'll have  
More than wanted

The music stopped. His lips where so close, Sarah felt dizzy from how fast her blood must have been pumping, close enough to see the goblin king gently trembling too. She could smell his breath, like wild berries, as be breathed heavily, her body tingling from the closeness. Then suddenly the goblin king pulled away, and started walking for the door.

"Jareth," she called and watched him stop at the door, "when did you first meet me?"

For a long moment he stood silent at the door, "About a year before you came to the labyrinth, you were practicing the book in the park, we were passing by and stopped to listen, you left your book behind, and we returned it."

"Was there only one of you then?"

"Two, but I could only see and hear, I had no control."

"Love at first sight?" Sarah asked sceptically.

"If there is such a thing, then I think it something that our heart knows and our brains come to realize," Jareth said. It looked like he was about to leave but he stopped again. "This is a sick world, it's painful, but it's better to put this sick world out of its misery," then Jareth disappeared down the hallway.

Sarah simply stood there overwhelmed, completely overwhelmed, running over everything in her head for answers, two of them, three of them, father locked one away. All his enigmatic answers only serving to further confuse her as she continued to tremble against the piano. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if they'd kissed…


	12. The Three

A/N: The last chapter. Yes, you read right, this is the last chapter of Proverbial Dream, but there is another part to my madness. The sequel although is out though, A Dream Withing a Dream. I don't know how frequently that will be updating with schoolwork but I thought you guys had waited long enough for this chapter anyway. Now you are subject to Sarah's confused rants as she figures out what's going on. If you'd read my other story "King's Curse" then you might have figured all this out already, if you haven't read it well then bask in awe at the awesomeness of my brain, really though I'm loathe to look back, I lack skills. Enjoy and review please.

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Chapter Twelve - The Three

"It's not fair," Sarah complained into her pillow, not caring that she was behaving like a child.

"What's wrong Sarah?" Kaiaraki asked softly.

"I'm not allowed to be attracted to that," Sarah said nearly growling.

"What's 'that'?"

"The goblin king…"

"His highness is a 'that'?"

"It does not get the privilege of gender," Sarah groaned before sitting up again, "Kaiah, you've known Jareth his whole life, did he have a twin that died before they were born or something?"

"No," Kaiaraki said looking at Sarah confused.

"Okay, the second one's not a twin's soul..."

"What on earth are you talking about my lady?" Sir Didymus asked.

"I'm trying to figure out something that Jareth said," she replied, "one of them could be the labyrinth… but he said there were only two of them when he first met me so if the first two are the original and the labyrinth, then that would mean that the labyrinth is now controlling Jareth's body, and that doesn't make sense, why would it be trying to destroy itself?!"

The two animal goblins stared at Sarah terrified of the strange rambling girl. Sarah reached to the side table, grabbing the map Kaiaraki had drawn up "Where does Jareth go most often, anywhere he might store personal items?"

"Well, his bedroom, and the tower," Kaiah pointed out the tower on the map, "but as far as I know he doesn't let anyone into the tower."

"Okay then, the hunt is on, come on Kaiah, Sir Didymus," Sarah said as she headed out the door. She didn't go far she opened the next door over stepping into Jareth's bedroom, a dramatic combination of blacks and whites. Sarah immediately started ransacking the room, going through the wardrobe, paying special attention to the underwear drawer.

"My lady?" Didymus asked worriedly as Kaiaraki had already started picking up the mess.

"People always hide important things in their underwear drawers," Sarah said, as she finished searching it, including checking for secret panels, "there's no harm in checking." She went back to the main body of the wardrobe, pushing his jackets to one side to check for secret panels, suddenly aware than she could picture Jareth in each of the ensembles. "No," Sarah growled and hit herself in the head, "I'm not attracted to that." Thankfully she didn't start picturing him when she was going through the underwear drawer, except that when that thought came up so did the mental image of Jareth stripped down to his tighty whities. Sarah was shaking on the floor covering her bright red face with her hands.

"My lady!?" Didymus asked again, now seriously freaked out.

"It's okay," Sarah said stifling her moment of embarrassment, "I'm okay now," she said and headed towards the side tables, pulling open empty drawers. "What kind of guy doesn't keep anything in his side table? No receipts, no Twinkies for snacks, no man jewellery, not even a pair of reading glasses. I mean is it too much to ask the guy to keep a diary?" Sarah pulled open the last drawer violently, a copy of "Beauty and the Beast" slid around the otherwise bare drawer.

"Okay, that's the last thing I expected to find," she told herself, flipping through the completely run of the mill pages before putting the book back. "Next stop is the tower," she said stubbornly and helped Kaiaraki finish cleaning hurriedly.

Sarah walked into the small tower room and immediately noticed the breeze that blew into the room, circulating around the room with a gentle and ethereal whistling. It slowed her frantic mind, allowing her to fully take in her surroundings. In front of her was a chair, and further away against the wall a model of the labyrinth, to her right the one window, to her left was a large display case. For a moment Sarah drifted towards the model in awe then turned her attention to the display case, the three shelves were covered in velvet cushions, but only two of those cushions held glittering crystals.

"What are these?" Sarah asked softly, looking at Kaiah.

"The crystals may be used to view a person travelling through the labyrinth, or hold the dreams of a person, or a record of memories…"

"So the crystal is his diary," Sarah said as she stared into the glass, immediately recognizing her own dreams in the other one.

Stepping back Sarah flopped into the large armchair having gotten nowhere. Then turning her head to one side she peered at the twin chests underneath the display case. Immediately she dropped to her knees and pulled out the ornate wooden chests, opening the first, removing a dried flower, an aging copy of "Labyrinth", although the print date was the same as her own copy, a necklace chain missing its gem.

"That's my old collar," Kaiah said with a gasp as Sarah pulled it from the chest, "before I became a goblin…" getting excited herself, pulling out the second chest.

"Then this stuff is probably Amelia's," Sarah reasoned, pulling out the photo album, and flipping it open, most of the pictures looked ancient, faded and taken by a very old camera, most of the pictures were in black and white.

"And this is the real Evelyn," Kaiaraki said with a smile holding up the porcelain doll.

"She's beautiful," Sarah said quietly, then turned back to the photo album, a wave of déjà vu sweeping over her, "Kaiah, when was this taken?"

"I'd guess about eight hundred years ago now, physically Jareth would have been about sixteen I suppose, it wasn't long before he became king."

"He was really young then? What happened, how did his father die?"

"I don't know, Nerzel was found dead, Jareth unconscious in the castle gardens after an explosion of magic."

"His father trapped him," Sarah said quietly, "that's it, somehow the part of Jareth that's in control now was separated from the rest of him, probably because of the ink magic." Kaiaraki and Didymus stared at Sarah wide-eyed. Sarah's eyes turned toward the picture in her lap, "I know I've seen that face." She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples to help her concentrate as she mulled through her memories, "Let's see, Jareth first saw me a year before I came to the labyrinth. That would've been the last year of junior high and," Sarah paled, "the year that I danced with someone dressed as the goblin king at the Halloween dance…" Her eyes widened, "Gyah!" Sarah cried, curling up into another ball, "No, no, it's not fair!"

Kaiaraki sighed and started picking up the mess Sarah had made of her wooden chest. "My lady?" Didymus questioned in a hopeless tone.

"I am not allowed to have a crush on the actual goblin king and then mistake him for someone like Matt!" Sarah said flinging her arms in the air, and started heading for the door, then she stopped and whirled backwards. "No, this is all connected somehow, and I'm not giving up!" she yelled and sat down in the big armchair, swing her head back and staring at the ceiling.

"Is Sarah frightening you too Sir Didymus?" Kaiaraki whispered discretely in the fox goblin's ear.

"Quite so Lady Kaiah," he whispered back and Kaiaraki fidgeted at suddenly receiving another new title.

"It's odd that Jareth hardly ever visited this room after changing, I guess he's grown less sentimental," Kaiah said, gently wrapping up the porcelain doll.

Sarah blinked and sat up suddenly to stare at the cat goblin who ducked nervously behind Sir Didymus, "Wait, how often does he come in here?"

"Almost every day before he changed, but after that the first time I found him here was when you'd arrived."

"But if it's a memory diary, then unless he stopped updating it. Hey could one of these crystals store an entire person, consciousness and all."

"I- I-," Kaiaraki stammered, but Sarah was already whipping open the display case.

"I think this is the real one," Sarah paused, "or is he? Are any of them real?" Exhaling a frustrated breath Sarah glared at the orb in her hands, "Until further notice, this is Jareth White." She turned towards her flabbergasted companions, "He was the one ruling the last time I was here in the labyrinth, I think, and we'll call the current one Jareth Black. If I'm right Black and White were both in the same body until Black got control and kicked out White. The third one we'll call Jareth X until a more appropriate name can be acquired."

"What do you mean we?" Kaiaraki gasped, "I can't start running around calling his majesty Jareth Black."

"Don't worry Kaiah," Sarah said, "if this is Jareth White, then all we have to do is-" Sarah lifted the crystal high above her head, then paused, and lowered her arm slowly, "but that might trap him forever… we need to find Jareth X! If we can find Jareth X, then I might be able to figure out how to put them back together or something like that."

Gripping the crystal globe tightly Sarah headed bolted to the door, and towards her room, every second praying that she wouldn't find "Jareth Black" around the corner waiting for her.

"My lady," Didymus panted as he tried to keep up, "what are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," Sarah said flatly, "if this is Jareth White then Jareth X would be a crystal too if he was in the same body as Jareth Black. If this is just a useless diary then there's no harm no foul, Jareth isn't going to hurt me, he'll just bring me back, probably confine me to my room."

"But," Kaiah started.

"He's not evil," Sarah said with a distinct pause in her movement as she stepped into her room, "a little messed in the head maybe, but not evil." Immediately she moved into action stuffing the crystal into her backpack and grabbing her own clothes and heading towards the washroom, emerging again a moment later.

Sarah tossed her backpack around her shoulders and looked at the fox goblin with a smile, then slowly her smile faded, "Black said, that you were my protector… and Hoggle was Matt… so both of you were linked to me… what about Ludo?"

"Sarah," came the gruff yet immature voice from the window.

"Ludo?" Sarah turned to the large red beast, "Ludo!"

"My brother!" Didymus cried happily.

Running to the window, Sarah threw her arms around the hairy fellow, her bright smile waning as she saw the section of red bricks that was growing out the side of the dark allowing Ludo to stand on it. "Ludo…" Sarah's mint green eyes looked into his big puppy dog face, his emotion filled golden eyes, suddenly the copy of Beauty and the Beast made sense, "You're the third, a piece of the Goblin King's heart..."

Ludo's big furry head bobbed with shame and acceptance.

"Come on Sir Didymus, Kaiah, we're leaving now."

The fox goblin trotted happily to the window, "Well you're certainly full of surprises my brother."

Kaiah remained still in the middle of the room.

"Kaiah, come on," Sarah called, "Ludo's not as scary as he looks…"

The cat goblin took a step backwards, "I can't go with you… young master Jareth… he needs someone to take care of him… I promised."

"Kaiah," Sarah looked at the cat sadly.

"Go," Kaiah said, "you'll only have enough time to escape if you leave right away," the cat goblin turned towards the door. "I have duties here which I cannot abandon, one of which includes informing his majesty of your escape."

"Kaiah," Sarah stared at the cat goblin then she turned towards Ludo, "Let's go."

-

Kaiah was shaking like a leaf as she searched the castle, maybe spending nearly a half hour crying trying to figure out what to do wasn't the best idea. However watching Sarah and Sir Didymus disappear out the window with a large beast that was allegedly part of the goblin king was not the easiest thing to handle. Her ears heard before her eyes saw him, his voice coming up from the throne room.

"I'm so glad you could all make it, really I was expecting you earlier. I thought that slaughtering throngs of the child born goblins would get a stronger reaction, although throngs of nuisances are much like spilled milk to you I suppose."

"Goblin King, your actions as ruler of the Labyrinth have been deemed detrimental to society," Kaiaraki poked her head around the corner, at a room of goblin officials, goblins who were changed when they were adults rather than children, these goblins, retaining most of their human features were the backbone of goblin society outside the labyrinth.

"How eloquent, but I can assure you, your society was broken to begin with," Jareth stood from his throne. "You see I have come to realize that the labyrinth is a sick and terrible world at best. To survive it sucks the hopes and dreams from its subjects, as a result you lack drive, motivation, function. To compensate you enlist more and more humans, suck more and more dreams, but this sick society cannot change because every new member is just as sick and useless. You'd be better off dead."

"You've gone mad," one of the goblins said, "and your tyranny ends here, there is magic enough in the goblins that now surround your labyrinth."

"Excellent, I'm getting rid of the labyrinth you see, but to do that I have to eliminate its power source, which happens to be all of you," Jareth's crystal sword glittered as it formed itself in his hand.

Kaiah paled, covering her ears and closing her eyes as she curled up into as tiny a ball as her feline body could acquire. Still she could hear the screaming which eventually drowned out into silence.

"Kaiaraki," Jareth's voice pricked the cat goblin's ears, slowly, she turned her gaze towards her blood soaked master, "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with our guest?"

"She has left, your majesty," suddenly Jareth had her around the collar, trambling Kaiah continued, "she left with a red beast who came to her window."

"No," the Goblin King growled, and stomped through the castle, with Kaiaraki in tow. He burst into the tower his dark eyes glancing with ferocity into the display case, before he smashed it, "No!" Then his gaze came to rest upon the cat goblin, "What has happened to the crystal?"

"I- I'm sorry, your highness, the lady took it with her, she was hysterical, claiming that it was part of you…" Kaiah could see a strange calmness overtaking the goblin king's face.

"Then there's one thing left to do," Jareth sighed, "I must apologize Kaiaraki, I had intended to leave you to the last, but the labyrinth is not being very cooperative, it keeps listening to the red one rather than me. You see Kaiaraki, they're going to try to get inside my mind, but since it is the labyrinth that binds us together if I destroy it then they won't be able to affect me, so I can't leave anyone alive now." The goblin king lifted his sword aiming for the trembling cat, "I really am sorry," his blade rushed towards her, but the force behind it wavered.

The blade fell to the ground, as did Jareth, falling atop the shuddering cat goblin.

Kaiah softly shuffled herself beneath the goblin king, to lay her young master's head properly on her lap, "I don't know what that young lady has to do in order to save you, young master, but if anyone can change your heart, it is her…"


End file.
